Sodium valproate mothers press for compensation as redress decision remains undecided
Mothers whose children were harmed by sodium valproate are campaigning for compensation, while the government says it has not decided on financial redress.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on affected families, compensation campaign and undecided government redress.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
BBC One has reported on mothers campaigning for compensation after sodium valproate harmed their children. The BBC One report said the epilepsy drug was given to women for decades and is thought to have affected around 20,000 people in the UK with what is now called fetal valproate spectrum disorder.
The report told the story of Emma Murphy, a mother of six. BBC One said she took sodium valproate during her first five pregnancies to treat her epilepsy and was assured it would be safe. She described a spectrum of diagnoses including autism, cerebral palsy, deafness and learning disabilities, and said the harm had devastated thousands of families.
BBC One also reported on Janet Williams, who was prescribed Epilim during her pregnancies. According to the report, her two sons suffered withdrawal from the drug when they were born and now, in their thirties, need support with daily life. Janet Williams said: 'It's the support that they're going to need when we're no longer here to give them that.'
BBC One reported that Janet Williams and Emma Murphy uncovered archive documents from 1974 warning the drug could be harmful to pregnant women and unborn children, but the concern was not made public. BBC One said warning labels were not put on boxes until almost 50 years later.
BBC One said a report in 2020 recommended financial compensation and the Hughes report did so again two years ago. BBC One reported that the Department of Health said the government was determined to make progress on its response to the Hughes report, but that a decision had not been made to provide financial redress.
BBC One reported that Sanofi, the manufacturer, said it understood the concerns and the need to be heard. BBC One reported that Sanofi said the supply of valproate, an essential medicine, was subject to detailed regulatory requirements and supervision, and that it was committed to continuing to educate about risks and precautions.
BBC One said the documentary Moms vs Big Pharma will air on BBC Two at 9pm on Monday 9 November and on iPlayer.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A report published in 2020 recommended that people affected by sodium valproate receive financial compensation. | |
| Around 20,000 people in the UK are thought to have been affected by sodium valproate. | |
| The Department of Health said it had not decided whether to provide financial redress. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West focused on the human impact of sodium valproate through the stories of Emma Murphy and Janet Williams. It set their compensation campaign against the government's undecided redress position and Sanofi's statement, and it trailed a BBC Two documentary. The tone was sympathetic to the families and gave prominence to their direct calls for justice.
- “it is a huge spectrum that has completely devastated not just my family, Janet, but thousands of families in the UK.”
- “What will happen to our children, it's just heartbreaking that this has happened to thousands of babies.”
- “We're just urging to do the right thing, to meet with us to discuss this, and to bring ground accountability and justice for these families.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 13:21 GMT
Emma Murphy, mum of six
BBC News at One including · Tue 3 Nov - 13:22 GMT
- 13:23 GMT
Department of Health, government department
BBC News at One including · Tue 3 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.