Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of piloting a no-fault compensation model for individuals harmed by sodium valproate.

The Department has not yet undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of piloting a no-fault compensation model for individuals harmed by sodium valproate.

This is a complex, cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations. As set out in the Hughes Report, the Government is carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner’s recommendations, including the proposed approaches to redress for those harmed by sodium valproate. 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.