Doctor broke own rules to give infected blood to boy, 7

A DOCTOR at the heart of the infected blood scandal broke his own rules and gave contaminated medicine to a boy who later died of HIV aged just seven.

Prof Arthur Bloom was instrumental in treating haemophiliacs in the 1970s and 80s as Director of the Cardiff Haemophilia Centre. He has previously been accused of ignoring warnings that blood products Factor VIII and Factor IX, were infected with viruses.

Most of the UK supply of these products, which were transformative to haemophiliacs by preventing bleeds, came from the US where blood donors were paid – many of whom carried infections.

Prof Bloom wrote NHS guidelines that children with severe haemophilia should not be given imported Factor VIII, but should instead receive safer alternatives from singular NHS donors.

‘It is basically treating them on the cheap. They were not worried about people’s health’

However, BBC Wales has revealed Prof Bloom ignored his own guidelines in the treatment of Colin Smith, and gave the 10 month-old boy Factor VIII.

Prof Bloom was aware of Factor VIII’S risk a year earlier and wrote to haemophilia centres advising them to seek out previously untreated patients (PUPS) to be given heat-treated US Factor VIII. He wanted it to be given to unexposed haemophiliacs to see if it was safe, as chimps were scarce and expensive.

Colin had previously been given Uk-made drugs. He contracted HIV after one dose of the imported US product Kryobulin 2. He died of AIDS in 1990, aged seven. Colin’s father, Colin Snr, told BBC Wales: “Saving pennies again. It is basically treating them on the cheap. They were not worried about people’s health.” He said he is “100 per cent certain” Colin was a PUP.

The Infected Blood Inquiry’s final report will be published May 20.