I am calling on the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland to improve how surgical risks are explained to patients and to ensure that patient understanding is actively confirmed as part of the consent process.

This request comes from personal experience.
For many years I experienced severe and debilitating menstrual cycles and ultimately requested a hysterectomy. During the consent process I was provided with written documentation outlining risks and signed these forms on multiple occasions. However, these risks were presented primarily through medical terminology and statistical probabilities, without practical explanation of what they meant in real terms.

For example, being informed of a numerical risk of ureter damage held little meaning to me at the time. I did not understand what a ureter was, what injury might involve, or what the consequences could be. Without that context, I could not attach meaningful significance to the risk when making my decision.

Following surgery, I experienced ureter detachment that went undetected for several weeks. This led to serious complications, temporary nephrostomy, further surgery, and ongoing long-term health impacts.

I fully recognise that surgical complications can occur even when care is appropriate. This petition is not about blaming clinicians or questioning the need for medical risk. Instead, it asks whether consent can truly be considered informed when patients are expected to interpret technical terminology and probability data without meaningful translation.

Patients should not be expected to consent to surgical risks expressed only in specialist language and statistics. Risks should be explained in understandable, practical terms, and patient understanding should be actively confirmed.

This campaign will also inform a formal petition to the Scottish Parliament when the submission window reopens, ensuring public voices contribute to policy consideration.

By signing this petition, you are supporting improved communication standards that could strengthen patient safety, trust, and shared decision-making across NHS Scotland.