On 3 September 2025, I spoke in Westminster Hall about Primodos, a hormone pregnancy test prescribed to 1.5 million women in the UK between 1958 and 1978. The test was linked to miscarriages, stillbirths, and severe birth defects.
As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Primodos, I have worked alongside affected families for over a decade in their fight for truth and justice. Primodos is one of the clearest examples of a systemic failure of candour in UK healthcare. Regulators ignored early warnings, suppressed evidence, and excluded families from the process. I have previously written about the work I have done with families affected by Primodos here on my website.
The 2020 Cumberlege Review confirmed there had been avoidable harm and called for redress, a statutory duty of candour, and cultural change. Yet, five years later, only one recommendation, the establishment of a Patient Safety Commissioner, has been delivered.
The impact on families has been devastating. I called on the Government to:
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Fully implement the Cumberlege Review, including redress
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Legislate for a statutory duty of candour across public authorities
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Guarantee legal parity for bereaved families
Families should never face avoidable harm without recognition, support, or justice. It is time for transparency, accountability, and real change in our public institutions.