Primodos 2023: The fight for justice continues for the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests (Sharon Hartles, 5 April 2023)

Summary

In this article, critical criminologist Sharon Hartles looks at the ongoing fight for justice by families affected by the hormone pregnancy test (HPT) Primodos. Primodos was given to thousands of women in the 1960s and 70s which has been linked to miscarriages, birth defects and stillbirth.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and pharmaceutical company Bayer are applying to strike out court proceedings against them in a civil litigation case brought by the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests (ACDHPT). This would prevent a five-day hearing scheduled to take place at the Royal Courts of Justice in May 2023 from going ahead.

The article outlines the argument brought by the DHSC and Bayer that no additional evidence has been found to warrant the case being brought by the ACDHPT. It then goes on to highlight recent research that has established a causal link between HPTs and birth malformations and that therefore gives credence to the litigation. Sharon highlights the importance of the legal system acknowledging and confronting the damage inflicted upon the families affected by the use of Primodos, many of whom have been seeking justice for decades.

Related reading

Primodos, mesh and sodium valproate: Recommendations and the UK Government’s response (Sharon Hartles, August 2021)

Sodium Valproate: The Fetal Valproate Syndrome Tragedy

A year on from the Cumberlege Review: Initial reflections on the Government’s response (Patient Safety Learning, 23 July 2021)