Primodos campaigners have said the government is failing women five years on from a review into the scandal
Campaigners who blame hormone pregnancy test for harming their unborn babies have said the government is failing women five years on from a review into the scandal.
Primodos was taken off the market in 1978 – after 1.5million women had taken it. A 2020 independent review, First Do No Harm, found regulators failed and were responsible for 'avoidable harm'.
How the NHS responded to fears over Primodos as well as pelvic mesh – linked to chronic pain – and anti-epilepsy drug sodium valproate were also reviewed.
Five years on, campaigners are still waiting for justice.
Wilma Ord, 77, of Livingston, took Primodos in 1970. Her daughter Kirsteen, 54, is deaf, severely asthmatic and has cerebral palsy. She said: 'Families can't wait any longer for justice, help or support.'
Marie Lyon, of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests, added: 'The IMMDS review concluded Primodos should have been removed in 1967.
It was removed in 1978, due to failures of the UK regulator to acknowledge hundreds of warnings they had received since 1958 of concerns about severe adverse effects on unborn babies.
'Since the report, 61 of our members have died without receiving justice. How can government bodies be so inhuman as to delay justice in the knowledge many of our families are elderly.'
Campaigner group Sling the Mesh accused governments of 'dragging their feet'.
It said there had been no audit to gauge the harm caused by mesh or compensation and few recommendations had been implemented.
The group's Kath Sansom said: 'The institutional inertia amplifies the suffering – especially the lack of compensation for harm caused to thousands of women who innocently trusted their doctor they were receiving a safe treatment.'
Sharon Hodgson, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on First Do No Harm – Mesh, Primodos, Valproate said: 'This little progress is hugely disappointing.'
In 2023, Primodos campaigners lost a High Court battle for compensation – leaving the claimants potentially liable for costs. Manufacturer Schering, now part of Bayer, has denied a link.
Expressing sympathy with those who believe they suffered following the use of hormone pregnancy tests and pelvic mesh, the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'The government is considering the Patient Safety Commissioner's recommendations in full.'
Bayer said: 'Bayer maintains that no significant new scientific knowledge has been produced that would call into question the validity of the previous assessment of there being no link between the use of Primodos and the occurrence of such congenital anomalies.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
10 minutes ago
- The Independent
Pharmacy warning of unsustainable demand for weight loss medication
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has issued a warning that the burgeoning demand for weight loss injections may be unsustainable, citing a significant mismatch between public interest and clinical suitability for the treatments. The NPA, which represents over 6,000 independent community pharmacies, highlighted this concern. A poll commissioned by the association revealed that 21 per cent of respondents had attempted to access weight loss treatments in the past year, either online or directly from a pharmacy. This figure surged to 35 per cent among 16 to 34-year-olds, contrasting sharply with just seven per cent of those over 55. There were also 41% who agreed they would opt for weight loss treatments on the NHS if they were made available to them. This figure rose to 64% among 25 to 34-year-olds, despite many of these patients being unlikely to be clinically eligible. The NPA says the poll, in which 2,002 people were interviewed, reflects an increasing demand for private and NHS weight loss services. NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: 'Weight loss jabs are one of the biggest drug innovations this century, but growing demand for weight loss treatment highlights the need to make sure this is appropriate for those who want it. 'It's clear from this polling that many more people are interested in getting weight loss jabs than would actually be suitable for treatment. 'We want to make sure supplies are carefully managed so that those in most clinical need can benefit from weight loss medication.' Spiralling demand, fuelled partly by social media, could see people being tempted to resort to unregulated online suppliers instead of regulated pharmacies staffed by medical professionals, they fear. Online suppliers may not be offering weight loss jabs alongside a structured programme aimed at helping them change their behaviour. Wegovy and Mounjaro are among a number of drugs that are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS. Mounjaro and Wegovy are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in patients with a BMI of over 30 or between 27 and 30 but with a weight-related co-morbidity. This occurs when an individual who has obesity develops another medical condition due to their weight. The NHS currently rolls out Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four co-morbidities, the NPA says. The NPA is calling for new regulations to protect patients buying weight loss medication online, so there is a full two-way consultation and all relevant historical medical records are reviewed before the treatment is prescribed. They are waiting for more details about the role pharmacies could play in the rollout of the NHS weight management programme. At least 85% of weight loss medication prescriptions were made by pharmacies in April this year, the NPA estimates. Mr Picard said: 'Pharmacists are experts in medication and many have extensive experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care, including lifestyle advice. 'Pharmacies are well placed to help roll this treatment out on the NHS, and help people make the best use of these powerful medicines.'
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I thought my snoring was from blocked nose, but it was something far worse'
Cornwall mum-of-two Claire Barbery was left in shock after what she thought was a blocked nose and snoring turned out to be something much more serious A mum-of-two was left stunned after what she thought was a harmless blocked nose and new snoring habit turned out to be a sign of a rare and aggressive cancer, which was already eroding her skull. Claire Barbery, 51, from Newquay, Cornwall, had no idea her mild symptoms were anything to worry about. In fact, she nearly cancelled the very hospital appointment that would change, and possibly save, her life. Claire, who works in a care home, put her persistent nasal blockage down to repeated Covid tests and thought nothing of the fact that she had suddenly started snoring at night. She said: 'I started snoring, which I'd never done before. I was waking up breathing through my mouth. Even then, I nearly cancelled my hospital appointment. I didn't want to waste anyone's time.' But in January 2023, after months of no improvement and with her concerns growing, she finally sought help. The mum had olfactory neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that grows in the upper part of the nasal cavity. Scans revealed a 5cm tumour that had already begun eating away at the bone at the base of her skull. Claire was immediately sent for complex and high-risk surgery at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where consultant surgeon Shahz Ahmed, who specialises in the type of procedure she needed, removed the tumour in a delicate operation that was filmed for Channel 5's gripping documentary Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death. He explained: 'This was a very rare form of cancer. It had already gone through the skull base and into the base of the brain. If we hadn't acted, it could have spread through her body. The surgery was high risk – we were working close to the brain's main blood supply, with dangers of stroke, seizures, and even death.' The operation was a success, but not without cost. To ensure all the cancer was removed, surgeons had to take out Claire's olfactory bulbs, meaning she's now permanently lost her sense of smell. After her surgery, Claire underwent six gruelling weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She's now under close monitoring but is slowly returning to work and spending quality time with her husband Gary and daughters Lowenna, 27, and Keizha, 25. 'I very nearly didn't go to that appointment,' Claire said. 'I thought, 'There's nothing wrong – don't waste NHS time.' But looking back, that decision could've cost me my life.' Now, as part of World Head and Neck Cancer Day, Claire is working with the UK's Get A-Head Charitable Trust to raise awareness and urge others to take persistent symptoms seriously, no matter how small they seem. She said: 'If you know your body, you've got to push. If something feels wrong – don't ignore it.'
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'Our little girl died four years ago and we're still waiting to find out why'
The grieving family of Bonnie Marsh, who died after collapsing in hospital, have been left with more bad news after being told an inquest into her death has been delayed again The devastated parents of a little girl who died after collapsing in hospital say they feel 'let down again and again" as a long-awaited inquest into her death is delayed yet again, nearly four years on. Bonnie Marsh, just four years old, tragically died in December 2021 after falling seriously ill with vomiting and exhaustion. Despite three visits to hospital, where her mum says she was 'dying in her arms', the bubbly schoolgirl was not admitted until it was too late Now, her grieving parents Lauren and Liam Marsh are still fighting for answers, but the inquest they had hoped would finally give them closure has been pushed back once more. And the heartbroken couple have revealed a string of horrifying discoveries in the wake of their daughter's death — including learning her body had been frozen without their consent. Mum Lauren, 33, said: "She's my daughter, but it feels like she's been the NHS 's property since she died. We were finally at the point of getting answers, and it's been taken away from us. We've just been let down again.' Bonnie, who had just started school and adored Disney's The Lion King, seemed full of a cold on December 14 four years ago when she came home from school. Two days later, she passed out in the bathroom after being sick. Paramedics told her family her observations were 'fine' and said the hospital wasn't necessary. But her concerned mum insisted on taking her in anyway, explaining: "She was still being sick, floppy and lethargic." Bonnie was seen again at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital the following day but sent home. On December 18, Lauren knew something was seriously wrong. She added: "She was freezing cold, floppy and dying in my arms. I was wandering around the hospital begging someone to help.' A cleaner, not a nurse or doctor, eventually guided her to the Children's Assessment Unit and said the tot was "very poorly," Lauren explained. As Bonnie's condition worsened, doctors handed Lauren a syringe and told her to feed her daughter tiny drops of water, despite her being close to death. Lauren said: 'They gave me the syringe to put water in my dying daughter's mouth. They said they'd restarted her heart and were transferring her by helicopter. But before we could leave, doctors ran back into the room. They said it was time to say goodbye — but when I walked in, she was already gone.' Ever since the tragic death, Lauren says her family haven't received any support or guidance and that police weren't contacted about the sudden death. Initially, the cause of death was said to be dehydration due to norovirus. A post-mortem later showed Bonnie had also tested positive for Covid and flu. But then doctors at N&N said she may have died due to a genetic condition, and an interim death certificate listed an 'inborn error of metabolism'. However, specialists at Addenbrooke's, Great Ormond Street, and even a clinic in Germany all found no evidence of any such condition. To make matters worse, the family were told after her death that Bonnie's body had been frozen to preserve samples. Lauren added: 'I hadn't signed anything. I had no idea. I was heartbroken. When I finally saw her, she didn't look like my Bonnie anymore.' Bonnie's inquest was finally scheduled to begin this July, but just three days before it was due to start, the family were told it was being postponed again because a witness was unavailable. At a brief hearing, area coroner Johanna Thompson said: "Bonnie's inquest was due to take place this week, but there were difficulties with the attending witness… It has now been relisted for October 29 and 30.' However, the family aren't hopeful anything will get done this time and are refusing to put it in their calendar. Lauren explained: "Every delay sets us back three months. Every time, someone needs more time to review evidence. I don't think we're going to get an apology. I just want a concrete answer about what my daughter died from.' In a statement, Tracey Bleakley, Executive Managing Director at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said: "Our deepest condolences are with Bonnie's family following their loss and we are sorry to hear there have been delays in the inquest process. It is entirely right that the circumstances are fully reviewed by the coroner following our own internal review. A full inquest… will provide the opportunity to answer all the family's questions.'
