Politicians should be ‘ashamed’ about Britain’s contaminated blood scandal, victims say

Politicians “should hang their heads in shame” over the tainted blood scandal, victims groups said, warning of future disasters because lessons have not been learned.

Groups representing those infected with HIV and hepatitis C while receiving treatment between 1970 and 1991 said the public inquiry’s final report justified victims being “gaslit” and treated as “conspiracy theorists” for experiencing the worst treatment disaster in history of the NHS.

The inquiry’s chairman, Brian Langstaff, concluded in the report published Monday that the tainted blood scandal was avoidable and was exacerbated by a government cover-up.

Clive Smith, chairman of the Haemophilia Society, said: “This is no surprise to our community. We’ve known that for decades. Now the country knows, and so does the world.

“There was a deliberate attempt to lie and cover up – this wasn’t just one person, this was systemic. That really changes what we think about as a society, and really challenges the trust we place in people – none of that can be taken for granted anymore.”

Smith said an “unprecedented” dimension of the report was the plan to monitor the government’s progress in implementing the recommendations within 12 months. “That means that the chair of a public inquiry does not trust the current government – ​​so if we consider that this is past and historical, it is not.”

Citing the recent example of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal and hospital pregnancy scandals, Smith said such scandals continued to occur in Britain because the recommendations of public inquiries were ignored. “That has to stop today,” he said.

The government’s plan to provide a detailed response on Tuesday suggested it was “creating a political moment that many people will find offensive and that will continue to worsen suffering.”

While not within the scope of the report, many victims want criminal charges brought against those involved in the scandal. As a criminal defense attorney, Smith thought this would be difficult.

“If there were substantive accusations against people, unfortunately the time for that has passed, because doctors who, for example, tested their patients for HIV and didn’t tell them, who then infected their partners, could and should have done so. prosecuted for manslaughter due to gross negligence,” he said.

But criminal charges could also be brought against those who covered up and deleted medical records, as this could mean the “systematic destruction of documents,” he added.

“I don’t think it’s too late, but I think the evidence needs to be reviewed and considered, and if there is evidence, people should be prosecuted, because unfortunately this report comes in today and I doubt there are many, if those are already there. people at home who think: ‘I’ll soon get a knock on the door from the police.’

“I fear that until people actually worry that their actions will have consequences, we will not see the kind of institutional change that Sir Brian has recommended today.”

Andy Evans, chairman of Tainted Blood and who was infected with HIV and hepatitis C as a small child, said a public inquiry could have been launched in 1986, rather than more than 20 years later. “How many people could have been brought to justice for this,” he said.

But he added that it was a “memorable day”, with patients experiencing “a whirlwind of emotions”, including feeling “validated and vindicated”.

“We have been under the influence of gas for generations,” he said. “When we told people, they didn’t believe us. They said this wouldn’t happen in Britain. Today proves that this can happen – and did – in Britain.”

He added: “When you have been working towards one day for 40 years there is no wrong or right emotion, but for the campaigners who have been doing this for so long – relief, absolute relief will be an overriding emotion. That is certainly the case for me.”

He suggested that the fact that government cover-ups were often motivated by cost savings – in this case the fear that compensating hemophiliacs would “set a precedent” for other groups – was self-defeating, since “this is the result and the Post Office is the result”.

Jackie Britton, who was infected with hepatitis C through a transfusion, added that many of those infected with hepatitis C were still struggling to get the medical care they needed, such as a scan every six months to check for liver damage track down. “There should be best practice across the country, not a lottery.”

“No one can call us conspiracy theorists, our truth has been told,” she added.

Lynne Kelly, from Haemophilia Wales, said victims would continue to have “sleepless nights” over how compensation payments will be allocated. “Sir Brian could be overruled or ignored by the government and that is a major concern for people. Maybe after 40 years of fighting, we should still keep fighting,” she added.