All Party Parliamentary Group for Valproate and Other AEDs in Pregnancy

What is an APPG ?

All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal, cross-party, interest groups of MPs and Peers interested in a particular issue.
APPGs do not have any power to make laws and are not funded by Parliament. There is a great number of APPGs, covering many and diverse fields such as health, education, transport, defence, finance, the media, and sports.
Some APPGs have existed for many decades whereas others come and go in response to issues of the day.

We encourage all MPs to join this APPG on behalf of their constituents

Objectives and Aims of APPG for Anti Epileptic Drugs in Pregnancy

Listed below are what the APPG plan to achieve with Objectives to provide a forum for MP’s and Peers to discuss Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome related issues:

• To raise areas of concern with Government or other policy makers.

• To raise the profile of Fetal Anti-Convulsant Syndrome within Parliament

• To seek opportunities to help improve the life and services of the sufferer/victim

• To seek Statement of Regret, Care Plan for those affected and compensation for the parents of families affected from Government and pharmaceutical companies, and to establish on going funding for the large number of new born and newly diagnosed children.

• To raise ‘Recognition for the Condition’ of the cause of FACS thus minimizing the risks.

• To discuss and implement changes required to the law to ensure that consumers are afforded greater protection. Current law appears to provide no effective protection for the consumer.

• To investigate and examine the effectiveness of the principles, departments and systems that exist or need to be implemented to minimise the risk of similar problems recurring in the future.

Hansard – Back Bench Business Debate

Contact your MP – please click this link to find contact details of your MP

Officers of APPG

The officers of the APPG include the Chair, Vice-chairs and Secretary. Each of them has taken their position in the APPG to be a champion within Parliament, and beyond, for people harmed by Anti Epilepsy medicines . The officers were elected at the APPG Annual General Meeting on 22nd January 2021

Chair – Cat Smith MP
Vice Chair – Lord O’Shaughnessy
Vice Chair – Christian Wakeford MP
Officer – Sharon Hodgson
Officer – Liz Twist MP

For more information on this APPG please contact Public Enquiry Point

Janet Williams via email : janet.infact@btinternet.com