The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that all 434 legal claims brought by Hilary Meredith Solicitors on behalf of Armed Forces personnel over the use of the anti-malarial drug Lariam have been settled, according to a written response provided to Parliament on 14 October.
Labour MP Emma Lewell (South Shields) submitted three questions to the Ministry of Defence seeking clarity on the cost of the settlements, the use of confidentiality clauses, and the handling of any missing medical records related to Lariam prescriptions.
Responding on behalf of the department, Defence Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said that “damages have been settled in all 434 claims brought by Hilary Meredith Solicitors against the Ministry of Defence relating to the use of Lariam.” She added that “the claimants’ legal costs have still to be resolved.”
Lariam, the trade name for mefloquine, was prescribed to some members of the Armed Forces deployed to malarial regions during the early 2000s and 2010s. The drug has been linked to a range of adverse side effects, including anxiety, depression and vivid nightmares.
In a separate written answer, Sandher-Jones confirmed that the Ministry of Defence had agreed with Hilary Meredith Solicitors to include a confidentiality clause as part of the court order covering the damages settlement. She said, “It is a common feature of out of court settlements to keep confidential the amount of damages paid to claimants as well as the amount of legal costs paid to their solicitors.”
Lewell also questioned whether any medical records relating to the use of Lariam by service personnel were missing or withheld. In response, Sandher-Jones said that the Ministry “is not aware of any issues concerning missing medical records on the use of Lariam (mefloquine) by Armed Forces personnel.” She further confirmed that “there are no outstanding requests for any medical records where a person believes they have been prescribed Lariam.”
I hope they received adequate compensation.
i can not say how much, but it was insulting, had to accept it.
I was given lariam 3times by the military. Despite having medical warning tags in my medical documents… I was told I couldn’t claim as it was too long ago (2001, 2002 and 2003)
I can confirm the nightmares!. Horrible stuff. Taking it during the day and working through the mild paranoia was more preferable than what happened at night.
Expect more claims.
Just waiting on my hearing damage case now. It’s in court and being heard.
It wasn’t the nightmares that were the problem for me. It was the personality changes, especially after taking the first dose. Incredibly short tempered (more so than normal) and the inability to hold my tongue when dealing with muppets. My wife moved out to a friends when I was taking it before going away, as she couldn’t cope with it.
However, due to some of the places we went to in Africa, Larium was at that time the best protection against Malaria. Though, I’m one of those freaks that doesn’t get bitten anyway!
Forgot to say, I couldn’t give blood to the NHS either, as it was flagged in my notes. Though they never really gave a decent explanation as to why?
I’m sorry I don’t get this at all. I was using Lariam in Cambodia and Vietnam on and off for months whilst working in the oil exploration business. The only adverse reaction I had whilst taking Lariam was a bit of an upset stomach on the first dose before leaving the UK. Then I guess everyone is different.
Service people were not alone in taking Lariam. A 2016 report suggested that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) accounts for only one-fifth of Lariam’s UK sales, I have worked with people who have taken Lariam and amongst other things noticed a distinct reduction in their ability to make decisions or do things of importance. I steered clear of the drug since I visited the malaria areas out of the malaria season. I was lucky.
I was prescribed Larium during my one year in Sierra Leone. Never heard about this ‘class action’ as I believe it is called.
I should add that aircrew were prescribed a different medecine for malaria protection due to the very well known possible side effects of Lariam.