UK: Contaminated Blood scandal

text - with my bold

Ministers said in 2017 that:

All documents up to 1995 are available through the National Archive.
However, following an exercise conducted by Factor 8 and hundreds of Freedom of Information requests, it was found that this, in fact, was not true. We had attempted to take this issue up directly with the Department of Health to no avail and so we sought the assistance of Baroness Featherstone who was able to put forward our claims and make progress.

Jason Evans (Founder of Factor 8) said:

For many years victims and families have been told and led to believe that all available documentation and evidence relating to the scandal had been either placed into the public domain or destroyed. Quite quickly during my investigation into this claim it became apparent that there was evidence held by the Department of Health that has never been released to anybody, we are talking about many thousands of pages. The obvious question is why?

Following the apology the Department of Health has said it is now carrying out "an assurance process", they said:

In the interest of transparency, and to ensure that we are able to provide everything that may be of use to the Infected Blood Inquiry and others, I have asked officials to identify all files the
Department holds, or has held, that are in any way linked to the issue of infected blood. This
includes files on what was known about the viruses, testing for and treatment of the viruses and any other files that relate to blood donation, blood products and blood safety from the period up to 1995, and identify which of those files are already available in The National Archives, which are in the process of being transferred and which, if any, are not yet in the process of being transferred. This process of file identification will be completed shortly so that we are in a position to respond to any requests from the Infected Blood Inquiry team.

However, the Department of Health is now using it's "assurance process" to block any further Freedom of Information requests upon newly identified files by Factor 8. In a response which cancelled over 50 Pending FOI requests made by this organisation the Department of Health said:

the public interest is better served by withholding this information
The Public Inquiry into the Contaminated Blood Scandal which began on 2nd July 2018 will seek to establish if there has been a cover-up.
 
NelliePledge said:
The U.K. inquiry has finally started. For anyone wondering why the situation in the U.K. about treatment of people with ME PACE etc is taking such a long time to change. Yes it is 2019 and the blood scandal is only now being properly addressed. The forces of the dark side are very strong in this country.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48104413
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Hmm
It' s similar to the Gosport Hospital scandal too - things moving now after years and years. I take it enough people have died off to reduce compensation and / or some people in charge have retired/ died ...
 
We may want to have a new thread as the Enquiry reports today. In anticipation, here's the link to the BBC's article.

Infected blood scandal: Inquiry into NHS disaster to publish findings

The public inquiry into the infected blood scandal, known as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history, is due to publish its findings.

More than 30,000 people were infected with HIV and hepatitis C between 1970 and 1991 by contaminated blood products and transfusions.

Around 3,000 of them have since died - many haemophiliacs given infected blood products as part of their treatment.

Chairman Sir Brian Langstaff will present his findings on Monday.
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Just been listening to a discussion on BBC Radio Five.

A lady called Hazel, who had a blood transfusion in the seventies, I think following childbirth and has spent her life feeling unwell and being turned away by doctors telling her there is nothing wrong.

So very sad - words that seem totally inadequate to describe almost a lifetime of suffering.
 
Guardian: Infected blood scandal: who failed the victims, and who fought for them

[Theresa] May, the prime minister at the time, finally announced an inquiry in 2017, with the first official hearing held in April 2019.

In response to the report, she said: “I hope that, today, all those infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal have got the answers they deserve.

“Yet again, a community has had to fight for decades for the truth to come out. We cannot and must not continue to allow a culture whereby institutions seek to protect themselves over the people who have been so damaged by their actions.”
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Fleur said:
Just been listening to a discussion on BBC Radio Five.

A lady called Hazel, who had a blood transfusion in the seventies, I think following childbirth and has spent her life feeling unwell and being turned away by doctors telling her there is nothing wrong.

So very sad - words that seem totally inadequate to describe almost a lifetime of suffering.
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I heard a similar patient being interviewed the other day. She was eventually diagnosed with hepatitis. It did make me wonder how many peole diagnosed with ME might have hepatitis or god forbid have been given infected blood and been unaware.
 
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