MP demands ‘bad blood’ scandal honesty
VICTIMS of Britain’s contaminated blood scandal must be given every bit of information about the outrage, Ministers were told.
Washington and Sunderland West Labour MP Sharon Hodgson said locals affected by it had contacted her with questions which needed answers.
It followed the Government’s announcement there will be an inquiry into how patients with the blood-clotting disorder haemophilia were given blood donated by HIV and hepatitis C sufferers in the 1970s and early 1980s. The scandal is believed to have contributed to the deaths of 2,400 people.
Peter Longstaff, of Jesmond in Newcastle, died in 2005 after being treated with infected NHS blood products.
And Ms Hodgson said the full truth must be revealed following what she called “the murky covering up of this scandal” in the past.
In her role as Labour’s Shadow Public Health Minister, she told the of Commons: “In recent days, constituents affected by this scandal have been in contact with my office with intricate details that must be addressed.
“It is important that those questions, no matter how small they may be, are answered, as they reflect the issues that have inextricably affected that person’s whole life.
“It is most important that those issues are addressed, so that those who have lived with the ramifications of this serious negligence can finally have the justice that they deserve. Getting to the bottom of the allegations and the evidence and having a full and frank inquiry that brings justice for the many people affected are the reasons why we must have this inquiry.”
She said the inquiry must also investigate events leading up to an individual’s infection and the aftermath, including:
allegations of medical details being tampered with
whether people were unknowingly tested for viruses without their knowledge, and
whether enough was done to identify those at risk of infection.
“As part of this inquiry, there must also be an investigation into the role of profit-making American firms, which supplied the blood factor concentrates to people with haemophilia,” she added.
Theresa May announced a wideranging inquiry into the scandal.
The Prime Minister said the treatment of thousands with blood products infected with hepatitis C and HIV was an “appalling tragedy” which should never have happened.
“Thousands of patients expected the
world-class care our NHS is famous for, but they were failed,” she said.
“At least 2,400 people died and thousands more were exposed to Hepatitis C and HIV, with life-changing consequences.
“The victims and their families who have suffered so much pain and hardship deserve answers as to how this could possibly have happened.
“While this Government has invested record amounts to support the victims, they have been denied those answers for too long and I want to put that right.”
The announcement was welcomed by campaigners who have been pressing for an inquiry into the import of the clotting agent Factor VIII from the US.
Much of the plasma used to make the product came from donors like prison inmates who sold their blood which turned out to be infected.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham - who as Shadow Home Secretary championed the campaign for an inquiry – said the announcement was a “major breakthrough”.
Downing Street said it would open discussions with those affected as to exactly what form the inquiry would take.
“Consultation will now take place with those affected to decide exactly what form the inquiry will take, such as a Hillsborough-style independent panel or a judge-led statutory inquiry,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.