Thyroid Champions

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 it 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.