Written questions by Tidball.

When he plans to publish a response to the Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

Whether he plans to establish a redress scheme for people harmed by sodium valproate.

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex area of work, involving several Government departments, and it is important that we get this right. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity.

Whether he has plans to support scientific evidence gathering for topical steroid withdrawal including (a) patient involvement in research (b) research into mechanisms underlying the condition, (c)

The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including topic steroid withdrawal. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions...

What steps his Department is taking to speed up diagnosis times for patients with topical steroid withdrawal.

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including of topical steroid withdrawal, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should inc...

Whether he plans to take steps to help increase knowledge of topical steroid withdrawal for (a) GPs, (b) Dermatology departments and (c) medical schools.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reviewed topical steroid withdrawal reactions, and first communicated about these reactions in September 2021 via our Drug Safety Update, which is read by a wide range of health care profe...