The health ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have written to the UK Government urging it to set out how it will help people harmed by sodium valproate, an epilepsy medicine taken during pregnancy that has been linked to birth defects since the 1970s.
In a joint letter to UK public health and patient safety minister Dame Diana Johnson, the ministers warned that a lack of action was “causing significant anxiety and distress” for patients across the four nations. Thousands of babies are thought to have been harmed during pregnancies since the 1970s by the drug, which is also used to treat bipolar disorder and is now known to cause major birth defects and lifelong learning difficulties.
Hughes Report remains unanswered
A report on the issue by Dr Henrietta Hughes, the patient safety commissioner for England, was published in 2024 but has not received a response from the UK Government. The joint letter, signed by Scotland’s public health minister Maree Todd, Welsh Government cabinet minister for health Mabon ap Gwynfor, and Northern Ireland’s minister for health Robbie Butler, said the continued absence of a formal response was causing anxiety and distress for affected individuals and families.
The ministers said they were “concerned” that the UK Government had not decided whether to financially compensate patients impacted by the medicine, adding that Westminster had offered no timescale for a decision. They welcomed the UK Government’s commitment to work with them and said they “stand ready to consider any proposals”.
Ministers call for clarity
The letter added: “Given the length of time since the publication of the report, we believe it is now imperative that the UK Government provides clarity on its intentions. We therefore ask that you set out, at the earliest opportunity, the UK Government’s proposed approach to responding in full to the Hughes Report.”
Ms Todd said: “I fully recognise the profound and lasting impact that sodium valproate has had on affected individuals and families, all of whom have lived with its consequences for many years. The continued absence of a response to the Hughes Report from the UK Government is causing significant anxiety and distress for those seeking clarity about what happens next.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the profound and lasting impact on individuals and families affected by the issues raised in the Hughes Report. In partnership with health ministers across the devolved nations, the cabinet minister for health and care has called on the UK Government to respond formally to the Hughes Report at its earliest opportunity.”
Westminster holds the answer
The spokesperson added that regulation of medicines and medical devices, including sodium valproate and pelvic mesh, is reserved to the UK Government, meaning only Westminster can provide an answer. Mr Butler said: “Those who have been harmed by sodium valproate have had to wait too long for a formal response to the recommendations in the Hughes Report. Unfortunately, as the regulation of Medicines and Medical Devices sits with Westminster, none of the devolved administrations can move forward until there is a response from the UK Government.”
In a speech to the House of Commons on October 29, Dame Diana said the Government “knows that the lives of women, children and their families have been profoundly changed” and that “their voices must be heard as we address these issues with the urgency demanded”. She added: “While a decision has not yet been taken to provide financial redress, my priority is to drive these discussions forward with greater urgency, while ensuring that any decisions we take are underpinned by a thorough assessment of the available options.” Dame Diana acknowledged the frustration over the two years since the report was published and assured that she would do her best to make progress on redress and all of the recommendations in the Hughes report.
