Thyroid Champions in the Scottish Parliament for ITAW 2021

Lorraine Williams of The Thyroid Trust and Elaine Smith MSP

Following many years representing the interests of thyroid patients in the Scottish Parliament and improving access to specialist treatment for those patients who need it, on 17th March 2021 Elaine Smith MSP kindly put down another motion for thyroid patients for International Thyroid Awareness Week 2021, which takes place at the end of May 2021.

Scottish Parliament Motion Number: S5M-24420
Lodged By: Elaine Smith
Date Lodged: 17/03/2021
Title: Thyroid Champions

Motion Text:
That the Parliament notes that World Thyroid Day falls on 25 May 2021; acknowledges what it considers to be the ongoing failures in the treatment of people with thyroid conditions, the majority of whom, it understands, are women; expresses disappointment that many are reportedly still having daily struggles to secure proper diagnosis and treatment; understands that those who can afford it have to pay privately for diagnosis and medication; acknowledges that current research being compiled by The Thyroid Trust suggests that there are currently patients in at least five NHS board areas who are reportedly being refused liothyronine; believes that the Scottish Government would understand the issues better if it undertook a similar project to the UK Government’s current call for evidence as part of its new Women’s Health Strategy, to better understand women’s experiences of the health and care system; considers that large drug manufacturers appear to have control over the supply and reportedly inflated costs of life-saving drugs such as liothyronine in the UK, compared to other countries, and hopes that future MSPs will continue to work as thyroid champions to help progress the ongoing issues.

We are grateful to Elaine for this motion and hope that all MSPs will support it. If you are in Scotland, please write to your MSP and ask them to do so. Let them know if the points made resonate with you and take the opportunity to share with them your own experiences.  

You can read more about what's been happening in the Scottish Parliament since 2012 on our dedicated Scottish Parliament page in the information section of our site

We'll report further on the progress of this motion when we know who is supporting it and with any other updates. 

Go Scottish thyroid patients and MSPs!

​Thyroid Champions!!