Question reference: S5W-33642
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 1 December 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made for a £1,000 compensation award from the £1 million mesh fund that was opened in July 2020, also broken down by how many have (a) been approved, (b) been rejected and (c) yet to be processed.
Answer
NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is administering the mesh fund on behalf of the Scottish Government.
The following table illustrates, as at 2 December 2020, the number of applications accepted, declined and pending, as well as the amount that has so far been paid to applicants:
Received | 414 |
Approved | 372 |
Declined | 18 |
Pending | 24 |
Amount Paid | £324,000 |
Amount Pending | £36,000 |
We have taken a number of steps to raise awareness of the mesh fund, and continue to do so. In June 2020, I wrote to all women who attended the meetings with the First Minister and myself to make them aware of the fund, the opening date and also where to access the application forms. In addition, I wrote to anyone who had been in touch with the Scottish Government regarding transvaginal mesh complications since the fund was announced. The fund is also publicised on the NHS Inform page at: Transvaginal mesh implants | NHS inform
Further, a news release was published on gov.scot in May 2020, the Health and Social Care Alliance have put a link to the application form on their website, and NHS NSS wrote to GP practices and Health Boards to raise awareness of the fund. Lastly, I made MSPs aware via my response to S5W-29926, on 16 June 2020.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx