The Government is being urged to compensate thousands of women and children affected by sodium valproate and vaginal mesh implants.
A new report by the Patient Safety Commissioner says the Government should provide financial packages to help victims of the drug. The report states: “Thousands of women, children, and families have been harmed by these two medical interventions and that there is a compelling case for the government to award them redress.”
Patient Safety Commissioner for England Dr Henrietta Hughes suggested in her report that the Government creates a two-stage financial “redress scheme”, the first being an interim scheme to help identify the victims. She said this would cost the government £25,000 per person, which will be paid through the interim scheme.
Dr Hughes told the BBC: “These families weren't listened to by a system that really turned its back, and fobbed them off with information which led to them not only being harmed, but thousands of others being harmed."
She said it was a scandal “bigger than thalidomide”, referencing the morning-sickness drug that was found to have caused sever birth defects in babies in the 1950s.
Dr Hughes wanted to include women who have suffered harm after using the hormone pregnancy tests Primodos in her report, but was reportedly told by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) they would not be included.
Marie Lyon, chairwoman of the Association For Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests, said victims of Primodos felt “betrayed”.
Primodos was an oral hormonal pregnancy drug given to pregnant women in the UK in the late 1950s. It was allegedly found to have caused severe congenital malformations in babies. The manufacturers, Bayers, has always denied there was a link between the drug and its reported effects on pregnant women.
The drug was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in 1978.
What is sodium valproate?
Sodium valproate is a medication used to treat several conditions like epilepsy and bipolar disorder. According to the NHS, it is occasionally used to treat migraines.
The medication can only be accessed through prescription. It can be taken as a tablet or as an injection at the hospital.
It is not recommended for pregnant women as it can cause birth defects such as spina bifida and long-term learning development issues. However, women were not warned about the risks.
According to a report by the Government, 11 per cent of pregnant women who take the drug will give birth to babies with a birth defect.
A review published in 2020 estimated 20,000 children were exposed to the drug and were born with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism.
Regulatory measures were announced in 2018, which also included a ban on the use of valproate for migraine, bipolar disorder and/or epilepsy during pregnancy.
