Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2024 to Question 13158 on Sodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: Compensation, what further progress his Department has made in responding to the Hughes Report.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report. The report sets out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex matter involving work with other Government Departments. The Government will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s Report at the earliest opportunity.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health had an introductory meeting with individuals and stakeholders representing those harmed by sodium valproate on 12 December 2024 and patient groups representing those harmed by Pelvic mesh on 17 December 2024.

The meetings were arranged so the Minister could hear individuals’ experiences of the issues raised in the Hughes Report and understand their key concerns around both financial and non-financial redress options.