Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced today that the Government would be launching a full inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal of the 1970s and ‘80s. Published data and scientific studies have estimated that around 4,700 people with bleeding disorders (such as haemophilia) and approximately 28,000 other people were exposed to hepatitis C through treatment with NHS-supplied blood products or blood transfusions, whilst 1,200 people with bleeding disorders and 100 other individuals were infected with HIV. Many of those infected with HIV were also infected with hepatitis C.
The Government has increased payments to victims to record levels with an additional £125 million of funding for victims, on top of the £390 million that has already been given through financial support schemes. The Department of Health has also published all of the information on blood safety from the period on its website, amounting to over 5,500 documents, and there are over 200 files of documents available to the public through the National Archives.
Members of Parliament were involved in an urgent debate on the issue in the House of Commons on 11th July. Nigel Huddleston, MP for Mid Worcestershire, was present for the debate and said upon leaving the Chamber, “I was glad to hear from Health Minister Philip Dunne that the Department is initiating a full public inquiry into this disastrous public failure. The scale of this tragedy is vast and the impact on those affected is almost incomprehensible, with many victims already losing their lives as a direct result of these contaminated blood stocks. I have had correspondence from my own constituents who have been directly affected by contaminated blood or know someone who has been, and I am sure my colleagues across the country have experienced similar communications.
It was clear from the debate today that this inquiry is fully supported by all political parties, which is something I wholeheartedly welcome. It will take rigorous and independent work to get to the bottom of how and why so many people were so let down by the Government and the NHS of the time, and it is crucial that people of all political persuasions get fully behind whoever is selected to lead this inquiry.
Nothing can ever reverse the damage done to the people affected by contaminated blood samples, but hopefully this is a step towards some kind of closure for the victims and their families. It will also help ensure that such a disaster does not occur again in this country, and I will play my part in monitoring its progress and resolutions on behalf of my constituents.”