Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you, minister. I am aware that we have taken you over the allotted time, but Stephanie Callaghan has one brief question before we finish.

Can you give a timescale for when the leaflet will be available to women?

Carol Mochan has a brief supplementary question.

Good morning, and welcome to the 17th meeting in 2023 of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. I have received apologies from Paul Sweeney and Emma Harper. James Dornan joins us remotely.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on whether to take item 3 in private. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

Our second agenda item is follow-up scrutiny of the complex mesh surgical service. I welcome Jenni Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, and Greig Chalmers, head of the chief medical officer’s policy division at the Scottish Government.

We move straight to questions. Minister, there are plans to create a single patient leaflet that will be available to women at the point of referral to the service. Why is that leaflet not already being designed, given the length of time that the service has been in operation? How will the leaflet clearly explain the various elements of the whole referral and treatment journey, whether patients opt for surgery with the service, NHS England or a private provider?

Tess White has questions on this theme, and she is joining us remotely.

Thank you.

I am sorry, Ms White, but we missed the beginning of your question.

Sandesh Gulhane has a supplementary question.

Thank you very much for your statement, minister.

You mentioned further engagement that will be carried out over the summer. Can you be a bit more precise about that? Can you give the committee an idea of the expected timeline for that engagement, who you are looking to engage with and when you expect to have completed that part of the exercise?