Cross-Party Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood

‘Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)’

Chair: Anna Sabine MP

Speakers:

Professor Penny Cook – Associate Dean Research and Innovation, School of Health and Society
Professor Raja Mukherjee – Consultant Psychiatrist, AMD LD, Clinical Lead Adult NDD&FASD, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Julie Furney – Director & CEO FASD Informed UK, FASD HUB South West & member of FASD UK Alliance (online)

Successful First Meeting of the New Parliamentary Session

There was an excellent in person and online attendance for our first meeting under the leadership of new Chair, Anna Sabine MP.

Following detailed and informative presentations from invited speakers, members and guests participated in a wide-ranging question and answer session and exchanged insights and experiences via the online chat and CPG Secretariat office email. Much of the information presented was serious and at times difficult to hear, but members left the meeting motivated and committed to ensuring that individuals affected by this disorder have strong, active representation from this CPG, its members, and its Officers. Our Chair will advise on next steps early in January 2026 but here are some main policy asks and recommendations from the meeting:

The Government must devise and promote a comprehensive national alcohol strategy and awareness campaign that focuses on education, not blame.

A nationally approved pathway of diagnosis and post-diagnostic support and full implementation nationwide of the Nice Quality Standard for FASD
Inclusion in a national preconception and inter-conception strategy
Guaranteed funding for intervention trials to enable scaleable evidence-based interventions for families
Specific recognition of the very real challenges faced by parents choosing to adopt with a national pathway to support, a determination to stamp out the blame culture and specific ways in which adoptive families can be supported as their child enters the education system and onwards.

A more detailed account of the discussion and resultant recommendations is available from the CPG Secretariat Office.