Cara McKee on Chronic Pain, Surgery and Returning to Holyrood
What McKee said
Scottish Green MSP Cara McKee said she considered taking her own life because of chronic pain before brain surgery for trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that causes severe pain in the face. The BBC published her account on 18 September 2026 under the headline "MSP Cara McKee considered taking own life over chronic pain". BBC
McKee, who sits for West Scotland, said she is preparing to return to Holyrood, Scotland's devolved parliament, next week.
A separate BBC video interview was titled "So excited to get back to work after two brain surgeries". The BBC placed it under Scotland Politics and linked it to Scotcast with a "Listen to Scotcast" prompt. It listed Scotland and Scottish Greens as related topics. BBC
Leave of absence
McKee took a leave of absence in July to treat chronic illness. The July coverage identified her as a Scottish Green MSP taking leave to treat chronic illness. In a statement on 19 July, the Scottish Greens said she was expected to need at least seven weeks to recover before returning to Parliament. The party said she might work remotely for a period before returning in person. Scottish Greens
Role at Holyrood
Parliamentary records list McKee as the MSP for the West Scotland region. The records say she became a member of the Public Petitions Committee on 11 June 2026. They list her separately as a substitute member of the Health, Care and Sport Committee. Scottish Parliament
The same records show she lodged parliamentary motion S7M-00391 on 17 June 2026 commending the people of Bougainville's move to independence. That was in the weeks before the leave announcement. Scottish Parliament
In my view, the interest lies in candour and in sequencing. McKee has put an unusually direct account of severe pain and suicidal thought on the record while saying she wants to resume duties next week. That combination creates visibility and management questions. The practical test will be phasing, and how remote working is used, how casework is caught up and how committee work is reabsorbed will matter more than any single appearance in the chamber.
The broader context here is how members talk about illness. Holyrood, like Westminster and the other devolved legislatures, depends on members being able to explain absence without surrendering privacy. McKee has chosen openness. That choice places some responsibility on others, in parties, in the press and in Parliament, to report the health detail accurately and to keep focus on her stated position. She says she wants to get back to work.
