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The harrowing conclusion of the investigation into the infected blood scandal is an “earthquake” that is sure to bring about lasting change, victims have said.
A woman whose father died after being given an infected person’s blood said Rishi Sunak’s government’s apology was “not worth putting on paper”, adding: “Action is needed”.
The families called on ministers to deliver “justice” by offering appropriate compensation and acting on the recommendations of the inquiry chair, Sir Brian Langstaff.
Justin Gordon-Smith’s father Randolph Peter was told he had hepatitis C in 1994 after receiving infected blood at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh to treat haemophilia. .
“He lost everything,” she said. I. “He was a vibrant, charismatic person. He was an incredibly talented musician. Everything was taken away from him. He became clinically depressed. He became isolated. have done.”
“My father was left suffering without any support,” Gordon-Smith added. She and her sisters ended up caring for her father until he died of cancer in 2018. ”
Rishi Sunak apologized on behalf of successive British governments in the House of Commons, pledging “comprehensive” compensation for victims and their families, and said it was a “shameful day for the British nation”.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s statement, Ms Gordon-Smith said: “Apologies from the government are not worth the paper they are written on. Action is needed.”
He added: “They have to raise their hands and acknowledge what happened and pay reparations that recognize all the lives and suffering that were lost. It’s about ensuring that nothing like this ever happens again – It must mean that people should never be treated this way by the state.”
An investigation into the scandal concluded that the tragedy was “mostly avoidable” and that there was an “extensive” cover-up to conceal the truth.
From the 1970s to the 1990s, more than 30,000 people contracted HIV and hepatitis C while in NHS care, and more than 3,000 died as a result. Sir Brian said: “The scale of what happened is horrifying.”
Bill Wright was given infected blood at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in 1986 using a blood-clotting protein called factor VIII.
A few years later, he was told he had hepatitis C. The 65-year campaigner, who is chairman of Haemophilia Scotland, was recently told he had liver cancer. He is currently awaiting a liver transplant to save his life.
Mr Wright said enough information was known about NHS failings by the late 1990s for the UK and Scottish governments to resolve the scandal decades ago.
“The governments in London and Edinburgh have said they don’t think it’s a good financial investment to investigate what happened. It’s more important to save money than to check on people’s health. Yes, and that’s a morally bankrupt position,” Wright said.
Asked if he was still angry about what happened to him, Wright said: It’s about justice. I have sat in many front rooms of widows and other people who have endured suffering. I have been inspired to work together to achieve some type of justice. ”
He added: “For some, the Prime Minister’s apology will be important. For some, this inquiry has brought catharsis because they have been recognised. But for others, the Prime Minister’s apology will be important. The whole process is scary. Some people have been heartbroken by the scandal, for obvious reasons.”
Mr Wright welcomed the recommendations made in the inquiry report. Sir Brian said “individuals in leadership positions” in the NHS must be “personally responsible” for their failure to respond to health risks.
The inquiry chair also called for an end to Whitehall’s “defensive culture”. He said the UK government should consider whether it was still sufficient to “rely on existing extra-statutory obligations” under the Civil Service Act and the Ministerial Act.
“This report is earthshaking. It could be an earthquake, and I hope it shakes the government to its core,” Wright said.
He added: “There must be no delay in compensation. There must be legislation to enforce the duty of candor. We need a major change in the culture of the NHS, and of ministers and civil servants.”
Joyce Donnelly’s husband Tom Donnelly received contaminated blood products at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He suffered from hepatitis C in several decisions until his death in 2015.
“It was heartbreaking to see the change in him,” Donnelly said. I. “Although he was sociable, he became so isolated that he became a hermit. He stopped living as a person. It was hard to live with the fatigue and depression he suffered.”
Mr Sunak’s ministers are preparing to set out a UK-wide compensation package expected to cost more than £10bn on Tuesday.
Some surviving victims and widows were paid interim compensation of £100,000 by the British government last year. But Ms Donnelly said a wider group of families whose lives have been ruined by the scandal should be eligible.
Ms Donnelly added: “There are families who are still fighting for compensation. The government must provide adequate compensation, and it must do so as soon as possible.”
How did the blood scandal affect Scotland?
It is estimated that around 3,000 people in Scotland were given infected blood in the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike other parts of the UK, where many blood products are sourced from the US, the majority of HIV and Hep C infections are derived from donated blood in Scotland.
Scotland has already launched a public inquiry into the scandal, chaired by Lord Penrose. However, the 2015 report was dismissed as a “whitewash” by victims’ organizations.
The Scottish Government then established the Scottish Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS), which makes regular payments to infected victims and widows, widows and partners of deceased victims.
However, this is not a compensation scheme, but provides financial support to a wider group of bereaved families.
Scottish Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said she would now work with the UK government to “ensure that all compensation schemes work as well as possible for victims”.
Bill Wright, president of Haemophilia Scotland, said campaigners would oppose any attempt to cut regular payments made under SIBSS. He said some victims may find it difficult to “manage” a one-off compensation payment.
“Regular payments are more like a benefit system,” he said. “The UK Government has indicated that this scheme may be stopped. That is wrong. We will fight any attempt by the UK Government to interfere with Scotland’s scheme.”