Special report: A scandal 'bigger than Thalidomide' (21 March 2025)

Summary

It has now been more than a year since plans for a compensation scheme were laid out for those affected by the sodium valproate scandal—and it is a state failure that stretches back decades.

Sodium valproate is an effective treatment for epilepsy, but it has been linked to lifelong disabilities in around 20,000 babies born since the 1970s whose mothers were prescribed the drug while they were pregnant. Many were not properly warned of the risks, and a 2020 review concluded that thousands of mothers and babies had been exposed to "avoidable harm".

In opposition, Labour said that financial redress for victims was "desperately needed" - so why has nothing happened since the party took office? And how much longer will those families be forced to wait?

Related reading on the hub:

• A year on from The Hughes Report: Urgent action needed on redress