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Sir Keir Starmer has promised to address a postcode lottery for the only drug approved for a debilitating pregnancy sickness condition.
The prime minister was asked in the Commons on Wednesday by Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary if he would work with the Department of Health to end the “scandal”.
Xonvea is the only drug approved in the UK to treat the extreme vomiting and nausea caused by hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which affects thousands of woman, about 3% of pregnancies, each year.
Some women have it for several weeks, some their entire pregnancy, and it can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and serious physical and emotional distress, with some so ill they are terminating wanted pregnancies.
Sir Keir said he would make sure Mr MacCleary has a meeting with a minister “to see what more can be done to get this treatment to patients who need it”.
The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital with HG during all three of her pregnancies.
An inquest last year found a failure to provide adequate care to HG sufferer Jessica Cronshaw, who was 28 weeks pregnant when she took her own life, “contributed to her mental health deterioration”.
The charity Pregnancy Sickness Support has found it is a postcode lottery to get Xonvea on the NHS, despite 84% of 800 sufferers surveyed by the charity reporting it to be effective.
Different NHS trusts and GPs have different rules on prescribing the drug, which costs the NHS about £28 for a 10-day supply – but £90 if bought privately.
Woman terminated pregnancy after Xonvea denied
Sarah Spooner, 32, terminated a pregnancy at 13 weeks in April after being denied Xonvea, which was first licensed for use in the UK in 2018, by her GP.
The 32-year-old optometrist, who had HG for 40 weeks with her first child, had to take a 50-mile round trip to a hospital to get a two-week supply.
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