Patient Safety Commissioner pushes government on valproate redress almost two years after report

In a statement made to The Pharmaceutical Journal, Henrietta Hughes has urged the government to provide a full response to recommendations made in her February 2024 report.

The Hughes Report, published in February 2024, called on the government to set up a two-stage redress scheme, including a possible £100,000 for each patient harmed as a result of valproate use, followed by a main scheme payout, based on the individual needs of each patient.

Hughes’ exclusive statement to The Pharmaceutical Journal follows a letter written by campaigners from the Independent Fetal Anti-Convulsant Trust and Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome Association to the government calling for compensation and clarity.

The letter, addressed to Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, and Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer was written by Janet Williams and Emma Murphy, both of whom are mothers of children with foetal valproate syndrome.

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Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 9 October 2025

Related reading

• The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh (Patient Safety Commissioner for England, 7 February 2024)
• Reflections on The Hughes Report: Pelvic mesh, sodium valproate, hormone pregnancy tests and options for redress (a blog from Patient Safety Learning)
• A year on from The Hughes Report: Urgent action needed on redress (Patient Safety Learning, 7 February 2025)