RUTH Maguire has said she is looking forward to returning to work after she revealed she is cancer-free.
The SNP MSP announced in November last year that she would be on medical leave after she received a diagnosis of secondary cervical cancer.
Maguire told Holyrood magazine that she is “excited to be well enough to return to work” after specialists said her treatment was successful.
“I have had so many kind messages and cards and people telling me that they've been thinking of me and keeping me in their prayers,” she said.
“I've felt so supported and my family and friends have been magnificent, but constituents and community members have been just lovely.
“I'm looking forward to going out and proactively reconnecting with constituents and groups again.”
Maguire, who represents Cunninghame South, was previously diagnosed with cervical cancer in May 2021.
She returned to work the following year but had to step back again in 2024 when the disease returned.
Maguire confirmed last year that she will not stand for re-election in 2026 but has vowed to serve her constituents “with diligence and compassion” for the remainder of her term.
The MSP underwent chemotherapy at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow in her latest round of treatment, according to Holyrood, with doctors saying she does not currently need any further treatment.
Maguire will return to work in her constituency in the coming weeks, before going back to the Scottish Parliament after summer recess.
She said: “I have a long-standing interest in women's health, in particular with access to healthcare, and having more first-hand experience and talking with patients and staff over the past few months has given me another fresh insight, and indeed impetus, into work that may be needed in regards to women's health and wellbeing.”
