Health Secretary apologises to Bournemouth woman harmed by banned pregnancy drug
Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale has taken the concerns of women harmed by a now-banned pregnancy drug to Parliament
Campaigners seeking justice for women harmed by the now-banned pregnancy drug Diethylstilbestrol (DES) gathered in Westminster as Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale launched a campaign calling for long-overdue recognition, screening and support for those affected.
DES, invented in Britain in 1939 and prescribed into the late 1970s, was marketed to prevent miscarriage and suppress breast milk production. Instead, it left a devastating legacy spanning multiple generations.
Despite warnings raised as early as the 1950s, more than 300,000 women in the UK were exposed to the drug, which has since been linked to increase the risk of breast cancer, infertility and rare cancers in their daughters.
Research suggests women who took DES face a 30% higher risk of breast cancer, while their daughters are up to 40 times more likely to develop rare vaginal and cervical cancers.
The Health Secretary Wes Streeting has since issued a formal apology on behalf of the Department of Health which is the first acknowledgement from a UK government.
In a letter to MP Toale, he said: “I am genuinely sorry that women and their families have suffered for too long. It is understandable that they feel their healthcare system failed to address this pattern of multigenerational harm.”
He pledged to improve awareness across the NHS, revisit screening guidance and explore ways to identify women potentially exposed to the drug.
“My department, and the wider health system, must now lead the way in supporting those impacted,” he said. “I have asked NHS England to work with local Cancer Alliances to ensure that providers are aware of the existing screening guidance which addresses individuals exposed to DES."
For many families, the apology comes after decades of neglect.
Earlier this year, Jessica Toale met Bournemouth constituent Jan Hall, whose mother Rita died of breast cancer in her 30s.
Jan, along with her daughters, has lived with DES-related health complications throughout her life, frequently encountering clinicians unfamiliar with the drug’s dangers.
“This is huge news,” Ms Toale said. “These women have been suffering in relative silence for years, but now they are a big step closer to getting the justice and support they deserve.”
This comes after several countries, including the Netherlands, already introduced screening, clinical guidance and in some cases compensation for those affected.
Until now, the UK had taken no such action but “that changes today,” MP Toale said.