Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 October 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what referral pathways are currently in place in each NHS board area for women seeking assessment and treatment for conditions arising following mesh removal surgery.
Patients’ needs following mesh removal surgery can be varied and complex, and may require input from a number of specialties, and so there is no single referral pathway that applies to every patient. Care and onward referral are determined by individual clinical need.
Following mesh removal surgery, patients are expected to receive two follow-up appointments with their surgeon or a specialist nurse from the provider. Independent providers are also expected to share relevant clinical, operative and pathology information with the patient’s local NHS Board to support continuity of care. If patients have immediate concerns following surgery, they should contact their GP or local clinical team so that appropriate advice and care can be arranged.
Responsibility for a patient’s ongoing care rests with their local NHS Board, regardless of where mesh removal surgery is undertaken.
Further treatment may be provided locally, regionally or nationally within the NHS, depending on the procedure required and the individual patient’s needs. Where a local NHS Board is unable to provide the required care, processes are in place to access appropriate treatment elsewhere within the NHS.
Before undergoing mesh removal surgery, patients are expected to be advised that symptoms of incontinence or prolapse may recur. Where further care is required for recurrence or reconstruction, conservative treatment may be considered while healing and recovery take place, with further surgical intervention considered where clinically appropriate.