Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the relevance of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to individuals harmed by sodium valproate.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not had specific discussions with international counterparts regarding the relevance of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to individuals harmed by sodium valproate. Our focus remains on improving the safety of sodium valproate, so it is not used for women or girls of childbearing potential unless a pregnancy prevention plan is in place and other treatments are ineffective or not tolerated. The Government is also carefully considering the recommendations made by the Patient Safety Commissioner in The Hughes Report, which sets out options for redress for those harmed by valproate.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing financial compensation to people harmed by sodium valproate by using the same compensation process as for thalidomide survivors.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department’s consideration of the Hughes Report’s recommendations for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate will include comparison with the compensation process for thalidomide survivors. However, this is a complex, cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course.
I met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report and made clear that the Department’s expectation of continued, proactive engagement with the Patient Safety Commissioner and key stakeholders.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data NHS England holds on emergency admissions, emergency care and levels of unmet need among individuals harmed by sodium valproate.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not centrally held. NHS England does not hold data on admissions or attendances that specifically identifies individuals harmed by sodium valproate.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide financial support to redress schemes relating to pelvic mesh and valproate proposed by devolved governments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report. To progress this, I met with the patient safety commissioner late last year and we continue to work closely together.
Should a decision be made for any United Kingdom-wide scheme, appropriate steps would also be taken to engage across the UK at the earliest opportunity. I am also in contact with ministers within the devolved administrations, with engagement between officials across the UK occurring regularly.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent engagement his Department has had with the devolved Administrations in relation to the recommendations of The Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024; and whether any Ministerial-level discussions are planned with the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While health is predominantly devolved, the Department holds some reserved functions and working together across the United Kingdom on health and social care is ingrained in the values of our National Health Service and social care sector.
The Patient Safety Commissioner’s report covered England-only, however, any response by the Government to the recommendations of the Hughes Report in England will likely have implications for the devolved administrations and their constituents. Engagement between officials across the UK occurs regularly and during an Inter-Ministerial Group meeting on 11 December 2025, the Hughes report was discussed and ministers across the four nations agreed to meet in January 2026 for further engagement.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the Hughes Report entitled Options Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. I have met the Patient Safety Commissioner this month to work up the Department’s plans to address her recommendations, and the Government will provide an update in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the First Do No Harm report; and if he will publish an updated timetable for delivery of those recommendations.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Seven of the nine recommendations made in the First Do No Harm report have been previously accepted in full, in part, or in principle. Four of these have been successfully implemented, including appointing Professor Henrietta Hughes as the first ever Patient Safety Commissioner in England in respect of medicines and medical devices, and establishing nine specialist mesh centres, which are in operation across England.
Whilst the Government has no plans to publish a timetable, progress is ongoing in respect of the remaining recommendations. For example, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has undergone an ambitious organisation-wide transformation to ensure it becomes a progressive and responsive patient-focussed regulator of medical products, for recommendation six, the Medical Devices and Outcomes Registry is now live and healthcare providers are required to contribute data, for recommendation seven, and regarding mandatory reporting of payments for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, the Government intends to publish its response to a public consultation on this topic later this month, for recommendation eight.
Work is also ongoing across the Government to consider the recommendations in the Hughes Report, which looked into, and provided advice on, redress for those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide redress for mesh and sodium valproate families.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report. I will also be meeting the Patient Safety Commissioner in due course.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of levels of epilepsy medication availability on patient safety.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Medicine supply issues are global in their nature and, whilst not wholly preventable, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage and mitigate risks to patients. The Department has worked hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including asking manufacturers to expedite deliveries, most issues have been resolved.
The Department is currently aware of supply issues affecting some suppliers of clobazam 10 milligram tablets, all strengths of topiramate tablets, clonazepam 2 milligram tablets, and phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets, used in the management of epilepsy.
The supply issue with clonazepam 2mg tablets from one manufacturer is expected to resolve late January 2026. The affected suppliers of topiramate 25 milligram and 50 milligram tablets, and clobazam 10 milligram tablets, are expected to resupply these products by early December 2025. The resupply date from the other affected manufacturers for topiramate 50 milligram, 100 milligram and 200 milligram tablets and phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets is yet to be confirmed. Stock remains available from alternative manufacturers of these products to meet patient demand, and we have issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service.
We have issued guidance for the discontinuation of sodium valproate (Epilim Chronosphere) 750 milligram and 1000 milligram modified release (MR) granules sachets. Alternative strengths of sodium valproate MR granules sachets remain available.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish a response to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report of February 2024 regarding funding redress issues for those harmed by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments.