A Government-commissioned report in 2020 looked into the victims of sodium valproate - which left thousands of British babies with birth defects or special needs.
BBC News
By Anna Collinson
image captionLeanne Matthews, Alison Jackson and Marie Lyon all gave evidence to the review
Baroness Julia Cumberlege, who led a critical review into how the health service has treated female patients, says she is angry and frustrated not enough progress has been made.
Her 2020 report looked into two drugs and a medical device which caused women or their babies harm.
It made a list of recommendations to support victims and prevent future, avoidable damage.
The four UK governments are still considering the recommendations.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care in England plans to fully respond later this year.
Update on the government’s response to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review
The Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health updates Parliament on the government’s response to the recommendations of the IMMDS Review.
From:
IMMDS Review) was published on 8 July last year. I would like first to sincerely thank Baroness Cumberlege and her team for their work on the review. I also pay tribute to the women and their families who bravely shared their experiences and brought these issues to light. Without their tireless efforts to have their voices heard, this review would not have been possible.
An Independent Patients Commissioner is set to be appointed to act as champion for people who have been harmed by medicines or medical devices.
Baroness Cumberlege, who recommended the new role in a landmark report earlier this year, announced that the government had budged on the issue after initial resistance.
She welcomed the move saying: Had there been a patient safety commissioner before now, much of the suffering we have witnessed could have been avoided. Image: Marie Lyon s daughter was born with a deformed arm after she took Primodos
But she added the risk still remains and further urgent action is needed to protect patients from potentially harmful drugs.