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Minister, when was the bill passed?

You are, of course, correct, but when we are thinking about a reimbursement scheme and talking about pathways for women who have suffered and are struggling, everything goes hand in hand. I was under the impression that the Government was looking at what to do with women who are struggling, who are in pain and who were unable to get the help that they required during the passage of the bill. That is why my question was framed in that manner.

My final question is also on the referral pathway. Is it possible for a GP to directly refer into that pathway?

We heard from a number of people that general practitioners are making direct referrals and that the pathway is a secondary care referral pathway. If the people who are coming to the committee are not being absolutely explicit, how can we expect other people to know what the pathway is and the way to follow it?

Carol Mochan asked about GPs accessing information. I often do not know what surgery a patient who is in front of me has had and patients often do not know the details of the surgery that they have had. You can send me all the information you want to send about what women who have mesh might experience, but, if I do not know that a person has had mesh implanted, how can I put two and two together?

Good morning, minister. Prior to the pause, would you agree that key stakeholders such as COSLA were against the current form of the NCS?

If it were not for a change of leadership, we might be pressing ahead with the current form. Will you give us the assurance that, if key stakeholders such as COSLA are against the proposals that are developed, you would not press ahead?

I did not, minister.

Minister, you spoke earlier of being a Highland and rural MSP, but the national care service has been described quite a lot as being centralising and negatively affecting rural and Highland communities disproportionately. Nick Morris of the NHS chairs group said:

“The logical conclusion that is suggested by the NCS proposals at the moment is that the island communities would have less control of the NHS elements of care, because it would all go to a care board.”—[Official Report, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, 8 November 2022; c 29.]

Do you agree with Mr Morris’s interpretation and do you feel that that is where the NCS is?

When will you be able to give us more detail on how local care boards will be drawn up? For example, who would sit on them?

Do you agree that key stakeholders such as COSLA were against the current form of the NCS?