At last: Women’s health commissioner for Scotland to be hired in weeks

Nicola Sturgeon has promised a women’s health commissioner within weeks after months of campaigning.

Ministers announced plans for a Women’s Health Champion last August with a press release saying the appointment was a key recommendation of its Women’s Health Plan, which ministers hailed as the first in any of the UK’s four nations. However, when pressed, it later confirmed the post would take up to three years to fill.

Last month, The Sunday Post revealed an open letter from 17 leading charities calling for the appointment to be made swiftly while Baroness Julia Cumberlege, the author of a landmark review laying bare the betrayal of women by the medical establishment, described the failure to take action on her recommendations as “deeply disappointing”.

The slow progress in Scotland was further underlined when England earlier this month named its own Women’s Health Champion – despite having announced its plan after Scotland.

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Last week, Sturgeon told parliament: “We will appoint a Women’s Health Champion or Ambassador this summer, which will be an important step in the delivery of our Women’s Health Plan.”

Agnes Tolmie, who heads the Scottish Women’s Convention, said: “We have been campaigning for many years over women’s health issues, particularly the menopause, mental health issues and reproduction, and we are delighted a women’s health champion is being appointed and hope it is not long before the role is filled.”

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MSP Monica Lennon, who brought forward the Period Poverty Bill which is now being copied in other countries, praised our campaign for the appointment to be made urgently.

She said: “Persistent, strong, campaigning by The Sunday Post has ensured the Women’s Health Champion will be appointed soon.”