Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the Hughes report.

The Government extends its deepest sympathies to all those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh, and recognises the profound, life‑changing impact these harms have had on individuals and their families. We know that for many, the consequences are ongoing and deeply felt.

We are still in the process of considering the work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out recommendations for redress for those that have been affected. We will respond once this work is complete. However, we have introduced several initiatives, in conjunction with NHS England, to address the immediate needs of the affected cohort.

In relation to pelvic mesh, a national pause was introduced in 2018 on the use of vaginally inserted mesh to treat pelvic organ prolapse, and of mesh slings to treat stress urinary incontinence, which remains in place. In 2021, we established several mesh centres as regional, multidisciplinary specialist services to treat complications from pelvic mesh surgeries. NHS England completed an internal audit of the mesh centres across England in 2026. The audit showed the value and impact of the service delivered by the mesh centres, with almost 3000 patients now seen in the services since their introduction, equating to 700 per year.

With regard to sodium valproate, since 2018, the number of females prescribed sodium valproate aged 0-54 has almost halved. However, NHS England continues to monitor and work to lower the number of patients exposed to sodium valproate in utero, and there remains a cohort of patients with distinct and varied care needs to whom the health system must provide the best possible care. The pilot has so far seen 80 patients, representing 560 appointments and 650 clinical hours. This translates to real human impact, with patients already feeding back on the value that being seen by clinical experts and wider multi-disciplinary team services has had on their quality of life.

The Government has been clear that there must be meaningful progress during this Parliament. We recognise how difficult this uncertainty is for those affected, and we will ensure that the public is kept informed on this important work. Ongoing health initiatives led by the Department and future plans are set out in recent letters to the Patient Safety Commissioner, which are published on her website.