First Minister to meet mesh campaigners
Mesh campaigners have pledged to press the First Minister on "substantive issues'' during a meeting later.
The women insist they have been left with "life-changing injuries'' as a result of vaginal mesh surgery and are looking for a "range of commitments'' from Nicola Sturgeon.
They will meet Ms Sturgeon in Glasgow on Monday morning after Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw raised their plight with her at Holyrood.
The Tory MSP demanded answers after expert American clinician Dr Dionysios Veronikis withdrew his offer to come to Scotland to perform mesh removal surgery.
Mr Carlaw said last month the Missouri-based clinician had called off the visit "mostly it seems due to a co-ordinated attempt to block him by powerful people in the NHS and the medical hierarchy''.
Mesh campaigner Elaine Holmes said that was one of the issues they would be raising with Ms Sturgeon.
She stated: "Scottish mesh survivors have long requested a meeting with the First Minister in our fight for justice and we are pleased that this opportunity has now arisen.
"It is vital that the meeting is used to address a number of substantive issues where progress must be made such as bringing Dr Veronikis to Scotland.
"I and countless other women in Scotland have suffered life-changing injuries because of mesh and we will be seeking a range of commitments on Monday where action must be taken by the Scottish Government.''
Mr Carlaw said the women had "campaigned for years for justice'' and he hoped the meeting with the First Minister "now leads to real change''.
The Conservative, who has championed the women's cause alongside Labour MSP Neil Findlay and former SNP health secretary Alex Neil, added that the "work to raise the profile of this appeal, and the plight of the women whose lives have been so devastated by this procedure, has been a genuinely cross-party effort''.
He said: "It just shows how effective politics can be when everyone puts aside their differences to work together.''
Mr Neil added: "This is a critically important meeting to progress the mesh campaign.
"The key objective is to ensure that everything possible is done to meet the needs of the women affected by botched procedures in particular by obtaining the services of Dr Veronikis.
"His pioneering work on mesh is world-leading and women in Scotland deserve the best.''
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "The First Minister will be meeting mesh campaigners to hear for herself about their experiences and how services can be improved.
"The Scottish Government has already introduced a range of measures to ensure women who have experienced complications from mesh procedures receive the best care and treatment possible.
"Earlier this year it was announced that a new complex case unit will be established by NHS Scotland to drive improvements and steps are also being taken to engage with international experts."
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