Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that disabled children between the ages of 16 and 18 with a diagnosis of foetal valproate syndrome receive the full amount of care that was provided during their paediatric years.

Everyone who has been harmed by sodium valproate has our deepest sympathies.

NHS England recognises that healthcare transition should be need and complexity based, not managed solely on diagnosis or what is routinely provided. Its Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme, along with key stakeholders, has developed a framework to aid the design of healthcare transition pathways that reduce health inequalities and improve health outcomes for all young people.

The guidance outlines key principles and examples of models of care for those aged between zero and 25 years old, including clearer accountability and improved services for those aged 16 to 17 years old. NHS England is due to publish this guidance later this summer.