Visit to United States in 2019 relating to mesh surgery: FOI release

Information requested

Following details of the visit to the US by Dr Karen Guerrero and Dr Voula Granitsiotis in 2019 which related to mesh surgery:

1. Full details of travel itinerary, hosts and attendees and all expenses.

2. Full details of itineraries at the host institutions.

3. Full details of any training - theoretical, observational or hands-on - relating to mesh removal or other procedures.

4. Any records provided by the attendees to the Minister and/or the NHS employing body pertaining to the trip.

5. Any agendas, minutes, briefings, emails, correspondence relating to this visit between the hosting organisation and the attendees and Scottish Government or NHS officials.

Response

Attached is a copy of some of the information requested in the following form; 

Annex B:
Itineraries for the Cleveland and St Louis trip

Annex C:
Email chain between Scottish clinicians / Scottish Government officials and Cleveland Clinic.

Annex D:
Correspondence relating to the visit to the St Louis clinic.
Email chain between Scottish clinicians / Scottish Government and St Louis.

All expenses:
You asked for details of all expenses, for the US trip by Dr Karen Guerrero and Dr Voula Granitisiotis. The Scottish Government organised this trip and the costs, including flights accommodation and expenses were:

Dr Guerrero: total £4,082.83
Flights and accommodation: £3790.43 Other expenses: £292.40

Dr Granitsiotis: total £3,870.20
Flights and accommodation: £3870.20 Other expenses: £0

No formal agendas were prepared for the meetings that took place during the trip. This is therefore a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that, in respect of part 5 of your request, the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

In respect of the remainder of your request, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because exemptions under the following sections of FOISA apply:

• 30(b)(i) (free and frank provision of advice);
• 30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views);
• 30(c) (otherwise prejudice effective conduct of public affairs); and
• s.38(1)(b) (personal information).

The reasons why that exemptions apply are explained at Annex A.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI202000086227 - Annex A,B,C&D

File type

45 page PDF

File size

1.7 MB