It’s been another incredibly busy year for the INFACT Campaign during Labour’s first Parliament in Government. Since the election, we’ve made 10 separate visits to Westminster, and reached out to every single new MP.
One of our first major actions of the year was a powerful trip to 10 Downing Street, where we hand-delivered a petition letter, joined by Baroness Cumberlege and Dr Peter Turnpenny and affected families. This marked a significant moment in our campaign, showing unity and continued pressure at the very highest level.
It was also a real privilege later that month to be invited to Baroness Cumberlege’s retirement function at the House of Lords, a special opportunity to thank her for her tireless commitment to patient safety and justice.
As many of you will know, it’s been challenging to secure meetings in these early months of the new parliamentary term, even with the amazing efforts from so many of you contacting your local MPs directly. Please know, your voices absolutely matter, and we are so grateful for your continued support.
Despite the challenges, we’ve achieved a great deal:
Over 100 written parliamentary questions have been submitted and answered.
John Glen MP raised the need for Parliamentary Time to discuss the recommendations of the Hughes Report during Business Questions.
Sharon Hodgson MP successfully secured a Westminster Hall Debate, where the Government issued a formal apology.
We’ve had constructive meetings with both long-standing and newly elected MPs, many of whom are now actively working alongside us.
One of the real highlights of the year came later on, when we were invited to deliver an educational talk and presentation to the new staff team of the FEMS (Fetal Exposure to Medicines Service) at Manchester Children’s Hospital. Being able to inform and equip frontline professionals with our lived experience and knowledge is a huge step forward in improving care for families impacted by FVSD and FACS.
On the media front, it’s been a powerful year:
The News Agents Podcast created a huge impact.
Families bravely shared their stories on Woman’s Hour and regional and national TV.
We continued to receive vital backing from ITV, Shaun Lintern, and The Sunday Times.
Amazingly we were also nominated for A Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award.- we eagerly await to see the outcome of that.
As Parliament now breaks for the summer recess, our team is already busy preparing for September. We’ve got major national media coverage lined up and are working on several new projects to keep the spotlight on this campaign.
If the page seems a little quieter over summer, please know : we haven’t gone anywhere. Any urgent updates will be shared promptly. And as always:
The INFACT National Helpline remains open on 01253-799161
The online support group continues to be a safe and supportive space 24/7.
Click to join – https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19RDJM8CS5/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Our revamped website and social media platforms have also gone from strength to strength. Engagement and membership have grown significantly, and we are reaching more families, professionals, and supporters than ever before. Our community continues to expand, and we’re so proud of the connections being made every day.
And finally, while we’ve not yet received an official Government response on compensation, we want to be clear: we are confident in our position and we WILL win this campaign. We have proven liability, causation, and regulatory failure, supported by two Government-backed reports. Justice is not a matter of if ……it is a matter of when.
Thank you for standing with us, we are here with you, every step of the way.
Yours
Emma Murphy
Janet Williams MBE
INFACT 