- Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Ministers write to UK
Government
Health Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have
called on the UK Government to provide certainty to victims
harmed by an epilepsy medicine.
Sodium valproate can cause major birth defects including
disabilities if taken during pregnancy. A report into the issue
by Dr Henrietta Hughes, the Patient Safety Commissioner for
England, was published in 2024 and has not received a response
from the UK Government.
In a joint letter to the new UK Public Health and Patient Safety
Minister Dame , Scotland's Public Health
Minister , the Welsh Government Cabinet
Minister for Health and Minister for Health
for Northern Ireland urged the UK Government to
act.
Ms Todd added:
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. People affected
have already waited far too long for certainty.
I have written jointly with Ministers in Wales and Northern
Ireland calling on the UK Government to publish its response and
set out the next steps for those affected.
Background
Hughes Report: Letter to
UK Government - gov.scot
