The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announced more spending on schools, playgrounds and the NHS in her Autumn 2025 budget update on Wednesday, 26 November, but Epilepsy Action says this was another missed opportunity to offer redress to people affected by the valproate health scandal.
Acknowledging the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) gaffe in publishing its budget assessment early, the chancellor announced effective tax increases across income, national insurance, property and council tax, and a cap on pension contribution through salary sacrifice.
In a measure to help with the cost of living, Reeves announced that energy bills will come down, the two-child benefit limit for universal and tax credit will be lifted, and national minimum and living wages will increase.
While these measures are welcomed by Epilepsy Action, the organisation said it is disappointed that the 20,000 children harmed by the sodium valproate scandal, many of whom are living with physical, learning and mental health problems, are still waiting for support they need.
Alison Fuller, Epilepsy Action director of health improvement & influencing, said: “The Chancellor acknowledged the infected blood scandal in her budget speech, saying she is exempting all payments from the scheme from inheritance tax. So we were really disappointed to see the government miss an opportunity to address another major scandal in providing support to the many thousands of children harmed by valproate.
“With every month that goes by without any acknowledgement of justice, the affected parents continue to feel forgotten, let down and terrified about how their children will be cared for when they are no longer here.
“The Chancellor also announced the creation of 250 new neighbourhood health centres, ensuring people can receive better and faster care where they live. We want to see the government include epilepsy as a long-term health condition in these new centres, giving the 630,000 people living with epilepsy in the UK the care they so desperately need and deserve.”
Five years on
Sodium valproate is a medication prescribed to treat epilepsy. For some people, it might be the most effective medication to treat their seizures.
However, since the 70s, it has been known that this medication could cause harm to unborn babies if taken during pregnancy. However, this information was not made available to women taking the medication.
In 2020, the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Review (known as the Cumberlege review) exposed systemic failures that resulted in avoidable harm to an estimated 20,000 children.
This and the Hughes report, published in 2024, set out recommendations for the government, including a redress scheme for the victims of the scandal.
More than five years after the Cumberlege report, the government has still not provided this.
Epilepsy Action has urged MPs to raise the issue in Parliament. MP Cat Smith tabled an Early Day Motion on the second anniversary of the Hughes Report in February, asking for the government to respond to the report and set up a timeline for redress. This was signed by 29 MPs.
In November, MP Andrew Gwynne asked if the Health Secretary would hold further meetings around implementing the recommendations of the Hughes Report.
In his reply, Health Minister Zubir Ahmed confirmed the Government will provide an update on the report, but did not specify a timeframe.
Epilepsy Action advises that people should not stop taking their medication as this could result in more or more severe seizures. Anyone worried about their medication should speak to their epilepsy specialist. People can also reach out to the Epilepsy Action Helpline for more information.
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