This week, Sir Brian Langstaff published the final report of the infected blood scandal inquiry. This tragedy has been a very long running saga stretching over decades and I hope that the report draws it to a final conclusion and secures the right support for survivors.
The infected blood scandal is a national tragedy. Those who needed blood transfusions in the late 1970s and early 1980’s were often given contaminated blood because there was a shortage of blood donors at the time and donated blood was often imported from countries like the United States. It was later discovered that some of this blood was contaminated with diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C. In addition, there were new treatments being developed at the time to help haemophiliacs at the time using a blood plasma product called “factor 8” which aided blood clotting, but this was product was created by blending multiple sources of blood increasing the risk of the final sample being contaminated.
The report concluded that there was a widespread institutional failure to make patient safety the paramount focus of decision making and action. Haemophilia centres and clinicians took too long to act and change blood transfusions treatments in light of reports of infections and doctors were given too much clinical freedom and followed unsafe policies and practices.
For many MPs, including myself, we have had individual cases brought to us and we have listened to their accounts of receiving infected blood. Past Governments did not listen or properly acknowledge the existence of this tragedy and acted defensively and did not accept responsibility or offer accountability. This refusal to give victims who had had their lives destroyed by infection the answer to their questions did significant damage, leaving people who had already suffered so much struggling and desperate for clarity. It shows what happens when the system fails to acknowledge mistakes early and instead persists in a defensive way to try to protect its own reputation despite the impact on innocent people.
The Government has since done the right thing and has fully accepted the moral case for compensation to be given to the victims of the infected blood scandal. Compensation has been paid since the beginning of October 2022 in the form of interim payments adding up to £100,000 to those who were infected or to their bereaved partners. More recently, the Government has also amended the Victims and Prisoners Bill to set a duty on the Government to establish a compensation scheme for victims. This confirmed that the Government will make the required regulations for it within three months of it receiving Royal Assent, and that it will have all the funding needed to deliver compensation once the victims and assessed claims have been identified.
The impact of the infected blood scandal has continued long beyond the initial time of the infection with victims and their families in my own constituency still suffering today from trauma and grief. It is my hope that the publishing of Brian Langstaff’s report will be a first step that honours and recognises the horrendous ordeal they have been put through. We must make sure the truth comes to light, and we right the wrongs of the past so that the victims get the justice they deserve.
