Correspondence regarding US mesh surgeon’s trip to Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

1. A copy of the correspondence sent to Dr Veronikis inviting him to Scotland to help mesh injured women.
2. A copy of Dr Veronikis’ replies.
3. Details of who sent the correspondence to Dr Veronikis.

Response

A copy of the correspondence sent to Dr Veronikis inviting him to Scotland to help mesh injured women.

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the form of:

• A letter from Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman to Dr Veronikis in response to his letter dated 8 April 2019.
• An email to Dr Veronikis dated 4 July 2019 about GMC registration.
• A letter from the Chair of the Short Life Working Group on Mesh Complications dated 6 September 2019.
• An email from the Chair of the Short Life Working Group on Mesh Complications dated 25 September 2019.
• A letter of 1 October 2019 from Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman to Dr Veronikis, in response to his letter of 29 September 2019.
• An email from former Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood to Dr Veronikis dated 9 December 2019.
• An email from former Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood to Dr Veronikis dated 12 December 2019.
• An email from former Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood to Dr Veronikis dated 20 January 2020.
• Letters to Dr Veronikis from former Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood sent on the 24 and 27 February 2020.
• An email from the International Recruitment Team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde dated 3 March 2020.
• A letter from Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith to Dr Veronikis dated 24 April 2020.
• A letter from Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith to Dr Veronikis dated 24 June 2020.

Request for Dr Veronikis’s replies
I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the form of:

• A letter from Dr Veronikis to Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman dated 8 April 2019.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to the Chair of the Short Life Working Group on Mesh Complications dated 21 August 2019.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman dated 29 September 2019.
• An email from Dr Veronikis to former Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood dated 10 December 2019.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to former Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood dated 10
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to former Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood received 9 February 2020.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith in response to letter of 24 April 2020.
• An email from Dr Veronikis to Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith dated 24 June 2020.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to the First Minister dated 25 June 2020. 

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information because an exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information.

This exemption applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is the personal data of a third party i.e. the names, contact details and signatures of individuals and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

This exemption is not subject to the public interest test, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

Details of who sent the correspondence to Dr Veronikis.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information because an exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. This exemption applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is the personal data of a third party i.e. the names, contact details and signatures of individuals and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

This exemption is not subject to the public interest test, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

Information provided outwith FOISA
As your request was received on 16 July (when you confirmed your name), correspondence up to that date is within the scope of your request. However, there has been further correspondence sent to or received from Dr Veronikis on and after this date which may be of interest to you. As it is outwith the scope of your request, we are providing a copy of the following information outwith FOISA:

• A letter from Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman to Dr Veronikis dated 16 July 2020.
• A letter from Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman to Dr Veronikis dated 4 August 2020.
• A letter from Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman to Dr Veronikis dated 11 August 2020.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman dated 22 July 2020.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman dated 7 August 2020.
• A letter from Dr Veronikis to Cabinet Secretary Jeane Freeman dated 2 September 2020.

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.

FOI -202000062501 - Information release

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59 page PDF

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2.0 MB