Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that people who have brought forward cases relating to the unsafe prescription of sodium valproate are not denied access to justice due to their (a) cases being complex and (b) disability.

NHS Resolution (NHSR) is the body that manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England, and a full list of their clinical schemes can be found at the following link:

https://resolution.nhs.uk/services/claims-management/clinical-schemes/

NHSR has published in their most recent Annual Report and Accounts, for 2024/25, that they offer simplified processes for vaginal mesh claims and sodium valproate claims to be reported to them by unrepresented claimants. They refer to these simplified processes as gateways. Further details can be found on page 41 of their NHS Resolution Annual report and accounts 2024/25, at the following link:

https://resolution.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/NHS-Resolution-ARA-24-25_ACCESSIBLE.pdf