Patient safety commissioner warns calls for changes are ‘falling on deaf ears’
England’s patient safety commissioner says her calls for changes following failings highlighted in three health scandals are “falling on deaf ears”.
Dr Henrietta Hughes made the comments at a meeting in Westminster on Tuesday of MPs and campaigners of medical scandals.
It comes after Sir Brian Langstaff’s highlighted a decades-long “subtle, pervasive, chilling” cover-up by successive governments and the NHS in the conclusion of his report on the infected blood scandal.
Like the victims of that scandal, those affected by epilepsy drug Valproate, as well as vaginal mesh implants, and the hormone pregnancy test Primodos, are also waiting on the government to implement a redress scheme.
The three campaign groups have already had a combined review. In July 2020, the Cumberlege review found similar failings to the blood scandal: damaging products, poor regulatory decisions, and one government after another refusing to accept wrong had been done.
Dr Henrietta Hughes, England’s patient safety commissioner. Pic: Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
Baroness Cumberlege recommended financial redress for women left in chronic pain by mesh implants and help for the children of mothers who used Valproate and Primodos during pregnancy, who live with life-changing birth defects.
The report concluded that all these products caused “avoidable harm”.
In February this year, the patient safety commissioner set out her “blueprint” of a redress scheme for victims.
However, Ms Hughes, who attended the First Do No Harm All Parliamentary group meeting, said on Tuesday: “I’m itching to get the changes that are needed, but I feel my words are falling on deaf ears.”
Parents and children claim Primodos – a hormone-based pregnancy test – caused a range of birth defects
Claims have also been launched over damage from epilepsy drug Valproate and vaginal Mesh (pictured)
She added: “I’ve met with politicians who don’t get the right information to keep people safe – information which is held back by officials.”
The government is yet to say whether it will implement her redress plan, but they have recently turned down a request from Primodos campaigners to review the scientific evidence about the drug.
In answer to a question tabled in parliament on 18 April, health minister Maria Caulfield said the government remains “hugely sympathetic to the families who believe that they have suffered as a result of using hormone pregnancy tests”.
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From February: What is epilepsy drug valproate?
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told Sky News in March that “they are not closing the door” and have “committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence”.
They added: “It’s right that the government is led by scientific evidence and the government’s position remains that, after reviewing the available evidence, it does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy.”
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Diana Johnson MP, who campaigned for 14 years for recognition of infected blood victims, said: “It’s depressing to hear the parallels between the infected blood inquiry and the Primodos, Mesh and Valproate scandals.”
She added that even the defensive language used in letters from the department of health had a familiar tone to the correspondence she received over the years.
The most common and frustrating expression used, she said, was: “We are moving at pace.”
Ms Johnson advised MPs and campaigners that to replicate the success of the infected blood cause, they have to “keep pushing” and “never give up”.
She added: “Ken Clarke once described Theresa May as a ‘difficult woman’ and that’s what you have to be – difficult.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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