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On Monday the 20th of May the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry was published. Led by Sir Brian Langstaff this independent public inquiry investigated what has been described as the worst scandal in NHS history. From 1970 to 1991 30,000 patients were given infected blood products containing HIV and Hepatitis C. The final report concluded that the issue could and should have been avoided and that patients were knowingly exposed to unacceptable risks. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, have issued apologies in the wake of the final report's publication.
On Tuesday the 21st of May, Paymaster General John Glen laid out the initial plans for the Government's compensation scheme to pay victims of the scandal. Interim payments of £210,000 will be made within 90 days and a new body, the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, will be set up to administer compensation moving forward. The first final payments are expected to be made before the end of the year and will be exempt from income, capital gains and inheritance taxes with some of the worst affected victims expected to receive between £2.2 and £2.6 million.
NHS Torbay and South Devon have issued the following statement:
People put their trust in our NHS, the government, and other public institutions to care for and protect them when needed. The findings of Sir Brian’s report are truly shocking and unacceptable, and I want to echo the apology issued by the Prime Minister and Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England.
There have been significant improvements to the way blood is screened and used during the past 33 years, and blood is now distributed to NHS hospitals by NHS Blood and Transplant. Since 1991, all blood donated in the UK is screened and distributed by NHS Blood and Transplant following rigorous safety standards and testing to protect both donors and patients. Since testing has been introduced, the risk of getting an infection from a blood transfusion or blood products is very low.
All blood donations are tested before they are sent to hospitals, and NHS Blood and Transplant's services follow strict guidelines and testing to protect both donors and patients and are subject to regular inspections by independent regulators.
Our priority is to make sure that people who use our services are safe and cared for, and our haematology, surgical and research teams do a brilliant job to provide compassionate care, often in difficult and challenging circumstances.
We believe in our responsibilities to investigate any incident where we believe someone may have come to harm through our Duty of Candour. We work collaboratively with patients to ensure they are involved with decisions about their health. We encourage anyone who is worried about medical practices to raise their concerns with our freedom to speak up guardian.
We know that some people who use our services, and our people who provide care, may have questions, or be worried about what they have read or seen in the news since yesterday. They might also be worried about their own health and wellbeing.
Most people who were directly affected have been identified and started appropriate treatment, and there have been no reported and confirmed cases of hepatitis C, from any UK blood component, since a 1997 transfusion and for HIV from a transfusion in 2002.
There may, however, be a small number of patients where this is not the case, and particularly where they are living with asymptomatic hepatitis C.
We are sharing information with our people and encouraging anyone who is worried to seek help and advice online or from the clinician involved in their care.
A confidential helpline has also been set up where people can get support and advice by calling 0800 458 9473 or 0203 417 0280 at these times:
- Monday from 11am to 1pm
- Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm
- Friday from 2pm to 4pm.