The final report of the U.K.’s infected blood inquiry is set to be unveiled on Monday, the culmination of nearly six years of investigation into one of Britain’s most devastating health scandals. This inquiry goes into how tens of thousands of individuals were infected with HIV or hepatitis through tainted blood and blood products during the 1970s and 1980s.
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Over 30,000 individuals affected by HIV and hepatitis C between 1970 and 1991 due to contaminated blood products and transfusions.
More than 3,000 deaths, primarily among haemophiliacs treated with infected blood products. Treatment for haemophilia involved Factor VIII and Factor IX made from donated human blood plasma.
Contamination stemmed from batches sourced from the US, where donors included high-risk groups like prison inmates and drug users. Infected individuals faced lifelong battles with HIV and hepatitis C.
Decades of denial and cover-up by successive governments. Previous inquiries including a 2009 private inquiry and a 2015 Scottish investigation, lacked teeth and were criticized as inadequate.
Infected Blood Inquiry chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, spanned from 2019 to 2023. Probing support for victims, government/NHS concealment efforts and missed prevention opportunities.
July 2022 and April 2023 interim reports highlighted the moral imperative of compensation. Initial payouts of £100,000 to 4,000 survivors and bereaved partners.
Cross-party commitment to compensating victims regardless of the election outcome. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps agree on the government’s historical failures.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set to issue an official apology. Recognition of the state’s role in the tragedy and the urgent need for compensation.
Compensation package estimated to exceed £10 billion. Pledges from Jeremy Hunt and Keir Starmer to expedite payments and ensure justice for victims.
Inquiry uncovers warnings ignored, HIV test results concealed and crucial files destroyed. Pharmaceutical companies’ greed and government negligence under scrutiny.
Possibility of prosecution for those found responsible. Calls for corporate manslaughter charges akin to France’s approach.
Langstaff’s findings to trigger criminal proceedings and compensation scheme establishment. Urgent need for transparency, integrity, and compassion in supporting affected individuals and preventing future tragedies.
Haemophilia Society’s Kate Burt demands radical institutional change to prevent marginalization of impacted communities.
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An estimated 3,000 individuals are believed to have perished as a result of contracting HIV and hepatitis from contaminated blood products, making this scandal one of the deadliest in the history of the NHS since its establishment in 1948.
Jason Evans, founder of the Factor 8 infected blood campaign group embodies the pain of the victims. His father, infected with HIV and hepatitis from tainted blood plasma, passed away when Jason was only four years old.
The scandal traces back to the 1970s and 1980s when individuals in need of blood transfusions including hemophiliacs were exposed to blood contaminated with hepatitis and HIV. Factor VIII, a treatment for hemophilia became a conduit for the transmission of deadly viruses.
Despite evidence of the risks associated with Factor VIII, authorities overlooked crucial warnings dating back to the mid-70s.
The World Health Organization cautioned against the importation of plasma products, yet these admonitions went unheeded.
Patients were not informed of the risks posed by tainted blood products. The failure to implement safety measures such as heat treatment to deactivate viruses.
To date no individual or entity in the UK has been held accountable for the incident. The Department of Health, pharmaceutical companies, NHS officials, and politicians all face scrutiny for their roles in the scandal.
Victims and their families have campaigned for justice, compensation, and acknowledgment of the harm inflicted upon them.
Pharmaceutical giants implicated in the distribution of tainted blood products, including Alpha, Armour, Baxter, and Bayer have yet to provide compensation to UK victims.
The UK government has acknowledged the moral imperative for compensation with estimates projecting a bill upwards of £10 billion.
Interim payments have been dispersed, but delays in establishing a compensation framework have strained the trust of victims and their families.
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