Thalidomide campaigner banned from conference

A THALIDOMIDE campaigner has been barred from a conference in Edinburgh attended by the company behind the controversial drug which caused birth defects 50 years ago.

Liz Buckle, from Isle of Lismore, Argyll, had hoped to attend the British Pain Society (BPS) meeting at Edinburgh International Conference Centre this week, but was turned away.

Ms Buckle, who was affected by thalidomide, claimed the reason for her ban was because the event was attended - and partly sponsored by - Grnenthal, the German company which developed the drug that caused birth defects.

Ms Buckle said: "I turned up and they had declined my registration and made a conscious decision to exclude me.

"They said I was not an established health professional working in the field of pain medicine.

"I had told them the truth, which is that I am a scientist and have a scientific background. I am working for the Thalidomide Trust on health-related projects."

Professor Richard Langford, president of the BPS, said: "We are an enthusiastic organisation with people who have dedicated their careers to try to improve the lives of patients in pain.

"In that respect we perhaps more than others are able to understand a little bit of how the thalidomide victims have had their lives blighted."

Prof Langford said he had met campaigners and offered to meet them again to work on the special pain management needs of people with disabilities caused by thalidomide.

In an statement, Grnenthal said: "We learned that a number of thalidomide-affected people want to take the opportunity of the joint annual scientific meeting of the British and Canadian Pain Societies to talk with Grnenthal.

"We have always been committed to a constructive dialogue with the thalidomide- affected. We regret that the thalidomide-affected have not responded to this offer."