News Archive
Primodos: The first step towards Justice
HERC: In this article, Sharon Hartles reflects upon the significant impacts of avoidable harms that have been perpetuated for decades through a culture of denial and an absence of state and corporate pharmaceutical accountability. Sharon Hartles was awarded an MA in Crime and Justice (with distinction) from The Open University in December 2019 and is…
Read MoreHannah Bardell seeks justice for Primodos families
DAILY RECORD: SNP politician Hannah Bardell wants the Government to implement the findings of a damning report into health scandals, including the pregnancy test drug. Hannah Bardell said mothers were treated like “guinea pigs” and “mocked” when they raised concerns about the drug, which was given to women from 1958 until it was taken off the…
Read MoreBaroness Cumberlege’s Speech
The following is the speech given by Baroness Cumberlege on 8th July 2020. Good morning. The people of Britain have every reason to be proud of their NHS.Its response to the pandemic has demonstrated the exceptional care and bravery of staff, but this does not mean that the healthcare system is free from faults. We…
Read MorePrimodos scandal: ‘Significant’ changes were made to key report
SKY NEWS: A Sky News investigation raises questions about the validity of a 2017 study which underwent “significant changes”. An inquiry on Wednesday ruled that many of the children born to mothers who used the drug suffered “avoidable harm”. But now a freedom of information (FOI) request has raised questions about the validity of a…
Read MoreWhat was the birth defect scandal linked to the drug?
THE SUN: DRUG SCANDAL What is Primodos and what was the birth defect scandal linked to the drug? The oral hormone-based pregnancy test Primodos was given to women in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s by their GPs. Now, parents claiming their babies were affected by the drug have said they’re preparing to sue…
Read MoreDamning report exposes three health scandals
DAILY MAIL: If we only ever sanctify the NHS, its harrowing failures will NEVER be cured, says IAN BIRRELL as a damning report exposes three health scandals By IAN BIRRELL FOR THE DAILY MAIL PUBLISHED: 00:07, 9 July 2020 Daniel Mason was born half a century ago without hands, with missing toes, a malformed mouth and…
Read MoreHealthcare system ‘unresponsive and defensive’ over safety concerns – review
THE MAIL: “Harrowing” stories of pain and suffering have been laid bare in a report which concludes that patients came to “avoidable harm” because the healthcare system failed to respond in a speedy and appropriate way when serious concerns were raised about some medical treatments. By Press Assc. 8th July 2020 A scathing inquiry into…
Read More‘I trusted my doctors’: the women fighting for justice after medical procedures
THE GUARDIAN: An inquiry into the harmful effects of medical treatments prescribed to female patients in England has highlighted a series of scandals By The Guardian. 8th July 2020 Jacqueline Ciseau, 64, was 17 when she became pregnant in 1973. Her doctor recommended a hormone pregnancy test, which confirmed she was expecting a baby. She…
Read MoreA historical argument for regulatory failure in the case of Primodos and other hormone pregnancy tests
REPRODUCTIVE BIOMEDICINE & SOCIETY ONLINE: Article by Jesse Olszynko-Gryn, Eira Bjørvik, Merle Weßel, Solveig Jülich, Cyrille Jean Abstract The drug Primodos and other hormone pregnancy tests (HPTs) remained on the British market for about a decade after they were first implicated, in 1967, as a possible cause of birth defects. In November 2017, an expert working group (EWG) set…
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