- Author, Ian Casey
- Role, BBC News
A damning report into the tainted blood scandal reveals that the infection of 30,000 people with HIV and hepatitis between 1970 and 1991 could have been largely avoided.
The report lists a “catalogue of failures” that constitutes a “calamity”.
Here are some key findings:
Patients exposed to “unacceptable risks”
Even though authorities knew of the risks of transmitting viral infections through blood and blood products, these products continued to be administered to patients for years.
The report finds that this exposes them to “unacceptable risks”.
Here is a list of some of them:
- Too little action was taken to stop the importation of blood products from abroad, which used blood from high-risk donors such as prisoners and drug addicts.
- In the United Kingdom, blood donations from high-risk groups such as prisoners were accepted until 1986.
- It took until late 1985 to heat-treat blood products to eliminate HIV, even though the risks were known in 1982.
- Starting in the 1970s, there were too few tests to reduce the risk of hepatitis.
The scandal was ‘not an accident’
The report says several agencies hid the truth, detailing how:
- There was a lack of openness, investigation, accountability and elements of “pure deception”, including the destruction of documents.
- But “hiding the truth” meant not just deliberate concealment, but also telling half-truths or not telling people what they had a right to know.
- These included the risks of the treatment they had received, the alternatives available and, sometimes, even the fact that they had been infected.
Sir Brian concludes that the scandal was “no accident”.
“Infections occurred because people in positions of authority – doctors, blood transfusion services and successive governments – failed to prioritize patient safety.”
The authorities’ response “aggravated the suffering of the population”, he adds.
Could anything have been done differently?
- Patients should have been informed of the risks of their treatment, report says
- The lack of information meant people did not know how likely they were to be exposed to infections.
- Successive governments have often stated that patients received the best medical treatment available at the time and that blood screening was introduced as early as possible. The report concludes that none of these claims were true
- The government’s decision not to suspend the importation of commercial blood products in July 1983, although it was clear that the cause of AIDS could be transmitted through blood, was wrong, says Sir Brian
- In addition, the British blood services are accused of not being rigorous enough in their selection of blood donors.
Who was criticized?
Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her government were criticized in the report, including for rejecting compensation claims by making “false” claims that victims were receiving “the best treatment available”.
The combative style of former health minister Ken Clarke, now a Lord, was also criticized by Sir Brian.
The views of haemophilia specialist Professor Arthur Bloom have been found to have “overly influenced” the way the government views the emergence of AIDS and downplays the threat to people with bleeding disorders.
The NHS, Alder Hey, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Treloar School were also condemned by the inquest.
How did the scandal affect people?
“Lives, dreams, friendships, families and finances have been destroyed” following the “devastating” scandal, Sir Brian said.
“Infected and affected people have told harrowing stories of pain, illness and loss, of lives damaged and destroyed, unrecognizable before their infection and unrecognizable from all their hopes and dreams for their lives.”
Sir Brian called the Government “cruel” for falsely telling people they had received the best medical care.
Will the victims be compensated?
The report made recommendations on how people can be compensated.
Infected people receive annual financial assistance from the government. However, no final compensation agreement has been reached.
Later on Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to pay “comprehensive compensation” to those affected and infected.
He added that details would be released on Tuesday.
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News Source : www.bbc.com
