Blood bungle may have cost Mum her life

IN 1972 my mother needed a blood transfusion during a standard operation for fibroids [noncancerous growths in or around the womb]. there followed years of horrendous symptoms before she passed away on May 7, 1980.

I was 30 and my brother was 32 at that time. My family was devastated and I demanded an explanation from the coroner.

We were told that Mum had hepatitis C. Cryptogenic — ie, of unknown origin.

A few years ago there were rumbles about cheap, unchecked blood products being used during that era. Now we have the head of the inquiry into contaminated blood supplies used in the Seventies and Eighties saying 30,000 people could have been infected during that time.

I feel very sad, obviously, about my own mother, but also worry for those left with terrible symptoms, knowing their future is looking very bleak. What a terrible mistake was made. glynis MaidMent, stithians, Cornwall. It IS scandalous that impure blood could have been used for transfusions in the UK, with the matter allegedly kept under wraps.

When I worked in Oman in the Eighties, locals were reluctant to donate, so to keep hospital blood banks adequately stocked, regular imports were bought from the U.S., which were then tested for fitness.

Phlebotomists confirmed that approximately 70 per cent of these imports failed and they had to be discarded.

to fill the gap, members of the public were encouraged to donate regularly. For each unit, a payment of the equivalent of £20 was made in cash.

these donations came mainly from overseas contractors like myself, and every unit was tested for suitability after payment had been made. Donors carried a hospital card showing previous donation visits, to prevent the system being abused. But the main point was whatever blood was used for transfusions, it was as safe as it possibly could be. Rusty Blagden, lowestoft, suffolk.

SNP explanation needed

AS the SNP announced it was to be back on a ‘campaign footing’ promoting independence following a nationwide day of action on Saturday, SNP depute leader Keith Brown said: ‘We are excited about the conversations that we are going to be having with people up and down the country today.’

Yet as the people of Scotland are reminded that no matter what the majority of us want, the SNP will never give up on trying to break up the UK, Mr Brown’s ‘excitement’ is unlikely to be shared by many of the rest of us.

Brexit is the current ‘trigger’ of choice for SNP agitation, yet the last couple of years have left Scotland largely unmoved by the Nationalists’ unofficial campaign to promote the EU as being better for us than the UK. If the campaign is officially under way Nicola Sturgeon will perhaps, in the interests of full disclosure, explain at the SNP conference how it will be in all our interests to not only break from the UK but leave ourselves adrift from the EU for the decade or so it will take to restructure our economy to meet the EU joining criteria. Keith howell, west linton,

Peeblesshire

Bank on the Governor

BrExItEErS who say that Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is scaremongering over what will happen in the event of a no-deal Brexit are ill-informed.

Before taking up his role, Mr Carney was an economist who had warned of the banking crisis of 2008 – two years before it occurred.

He managed to steer Canada clear of some of the worse excesses of the crisis.

When Carney speaks, the world – and especially the Brexiteers – should sit up and listen.

david l PRyoR, henfield, west sussex.