Chamber and committees

NHS Central Legal Office is not aware of any of any case where a pursuer has been required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Scottish clinicians were not requested to provide evidence of skills prior to travelling to the US. However, comparison of techniques and review of available objective evidence of both benefit and harm, will form part of the discussions clinicians are undertaking during their visit there.

The award of any contract is a matter for the Health Board concerned, once it has applied due diligence. The Health Board providing the contract determines how it would assure itself, depending on the nature of what is being proposed. An important consideration is the evidence of practice it is in a position to assess, for example previous contacts and experience with existing clinicians, the availability of published papers, etc. In addition, there are a number of details that would need to be clarified prior to any visit, including patient selection, pre-op assessment and imaging, after-care and follow-up, time period, terms and conditions, remuneration, and so on.

The precise detail of any contract, including in the case of Dr Veronikis, will therefore be considered on this basis as for other visiting clinicians.

The Chief Medical Officer has had high-level discussions with clinicians concerning technique. As indicated in answer to S5W-25675 on 8 November 2019, technique forms part of the discussions the Chief Medical Officer and clinicians are undertaking during their trip to the US.

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

The member is referred to the answer to S5W-25679 on 8 November 2019.

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 .

A specialist mesh complications clinician was present at the conference in question. Whilst that clinician intended to speak to Dr Veronikis, she was not able to as he departed before she had the opportunity.

NHS Central Legal Office confirms that no cases that are part of a large group action have been settled out of court. It is understood a small number of individual clinical negligence cases involving mesh have settled in this way; however for reasons of confidentiality a precise number cannot be stated.

The First Minister and Chief Medical Officer have spoken to Dr Veronikis and the Chief Medical Officer, accompanied by Scottish clinicians, is visiting him in the US this week. The visit gives clinicians the opportunity to directly observe Dr Veronikis and members of his multidisciplinary team in his practice in a different healthcare environment and to explore how his skills could best be used in any return visit to Scotland.

The Scottish Government would encourage any woman who is pursuing a case to apply for Legal Aid should she feel she may qualify. Advice on Legal Aid is available here .

Any material taken to the US will be determined by the clinicians undertaking the visit.