Thalidomide survivors living in Scotland will receive lifelong financial support, the Scottish government has announced.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said he hoped the pledge to provide grants would reassure those affected.

There are 50 known survivors of the banned pregnancy drug living in Scotland, most now in their 60s.

They are among thousands born with limb defects after their mothers took thalidomide during her pregnancy.

The drug was commonly used to treat morning sickness from 1958 to 1961.

In 2013, the Scottish Government committed £14.2million to help survivors over a 10-year period, with the money going towards health and living costs.

Ministers have now extended this agreement, with grants to be allocated to survivors based on need, as assessed by the Thalidomide Trust.

Mr Yousaf said: “This funding is being used to provide thalidomide survivors with all the assistance they need to maintain their independence. He has been a vital support in helping people adapt their housing and manage their pain.

“I hope that this lifelong commitment to continue this support will reassure the beneficiaries and help them to meet the challenges they face. »

David Fullerton from Loanhead in Midlothian is weakened by thalidomide. Now 60, he is relieved to feel safe.

He told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: ‘Me and the cohort are all aging together but deteriorating a little faster than normal on top of those original disabilities.

“It is a relief that the Scottish Government has recognized that there is an ongoing need to meet this additional cost to help us be independent for the rest of our lives, the last part of our lives. »

He explained some of the costs. “For me, every piece of clothing for my upper body needs to be fitted, so the fittings can cost more than the garment.

“Cars have to be adjusted and adapted, houses have to be adapted.

“I can’t really use the normal gym equipment, so I have to bring in a personal trainer and help me set up the equipment and get attached to the machines, things that impact almost every aspect of life. »

Mr. Fullerton does not see the commitment as compensation but as a mitigation of additional costs.

He said his disabilities over the years had caused a lot of distress.

“My mother, my siblings, my partners have all been affected by it. »

He added: “Medication safety and medical safety are based on this disaster but it does not stop for us.

“There is still a case against the German company that produced the drug in the first place. »

Mr. Fullerton would have liked to see some responsibility distributed and said it would have been nice if it had been dealt with from the start.

“Throughout our lifetimes, it’s just piled up, piled up,” he said. “And I have no doubt that in 10 years, when everyone is 70-73, there will be more complicated medical problems to deal with and more complicated independent living problems, so it will have to be reviewed. But it’s a relief to have this Support. »

Deborah Jack, executive director of the Thalidomide Trust, said the latest funding announcement was “fantastic and very welcome news”.

She added: “Unfortunately, as our beneficiaries age, they experience multiple health issues in addition to their initial harm from thalidomide, and the costs to meet their complex needs are significant.

“Many of them were really worried that this much needed funding was coming to an end.

“We are really pleased that the Scottish Government has recognized this by committing to lifelong financial support and also agreeing to regularly review the level of funding to ensure it meets their changing needs. »

Scotland has played a leading role in dealing with the impact of thalidomide in the past.

In 1961, Edinburgh GP Ekke Kuenssberg and two colleagues were among the first to realize the danger this posed to babies in the womb.

The city’s Princess Margaret Rose Hospital became a global center for young survivors and provided artificially powered limbs that they could control themselves.