Infected blood victim only found out 40 years after amputation
A FORMER soldier who lost his leg while serving in the Army was given infected blood during surgery but only found out 40 years later.
Brendan West had his leg amputated in 1979 and was given a blood transfusion while at a British military hospital in Germany.
Four decades later, he discovered that the blood had been infected with hepatitis C.
The 63-year-old only discovered he was infected with the virus when he was turned away from donating blood during the pandemic.
Subsequent tests have revealed that he has suffered severe liver damage as a result of the virus going undetected for so many years. He also has to be monitored for a life-threatening bleeding condition.
The revelations come ahead of the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, which is due on May 20.
Thousands of people have died after being given blood transfusions or products that were infected with viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in the 1970s and 1980s. They were largely imported into the UK from the United States. Nobody in the UK has been held to account, and no compensation has been paid by the Government.
Mr West suffered multiple injuries in a hit-and-run car accident while with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers in Germany in 1979. He was first treated at a Belgian hospital and then sent to a British military hospital in Germany. “I still had my leg at the time, it was smashed up,” he said.
“I was becoming more and more ill. I don’t know if it was gangrenous or not, but they had to amputate it and I was given a lot of blood.
“I assume the people who gave me blood were totally unaware of the risk.
“I wouldn’t blame surgeons, or nurses, or whoever gave me the blood, but systematically there is obviously some blame there.”
Mr West described how he had needed further operations throughout his life, adding: “What I find interesting is at no time was the hep C discovered in 40 odd years, I find that really strange.” He added: “I think the galling aspect for me is that the way multiple governments, but particularly this Government, have reacted.”
“Having served my country, and trying to have faith in the government, but all I see publicly is that they’re kicking me while I’m down.
“I’m lucky to be alive – there are so many dead: children; mothers; fathers – yet the government continues to delay by design.”
Now retired, Mr West recalls various bouts of unexplained illness and exhaustion which affected his working life “in a big way”.
A Government spokesman said: “We are clear that justice needs to be done and swiftly ... this includes establishing a new body to deliver an infected blood compensation scheme.”