It’s been described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS. Between 1970 and 1991, 30,000 people were infected with HIV or Hepatitis C after being treated with contaminated blood. Today the final report from the infected blood inquiry says the scandal was “no accident.” Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 It's been described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
00:06 Tens of thousands of people infected with HIV or Hepatitis C after being treated with
00:12 contaminated blood.
00:13 Today, the final report from the Infected Blood Inquiry says the scandal was no accident.
00:20 People put their trust in doctors and the government to keep them safe, and that trust
00:27 was betrayed.
00:29 And then the government compounded the agony by telling them that nothing wrong had been
00:33 done.
00:35 Between 1970 and 1991, 30,000 people were infected.
00:40 During that time, the UK pioneered new treatments for conditions like haemophilia using donated
00:46 blood.
00:47 However, blood was brought in from the United States to meet demand for the new drugs.
00:52 This was often donated from prisoners and drug addicts who were paid to give blood at
00:56 the time.
00:57 This meant entire batches of the drug were often contaminated.
01:01 There were numerous warnings about the imported blood and the risks, but the UK was unable
01:06 to produce the amounts of blood it needed, so carried on importing it from overseas.
01:11 Two main groups were affected by the scandal.
01:14 The first group were haemophiliacs, 1,250 of whom were infected with HIV and Hepatitis
01:21 C.
01:22 Two-thirds of them later died of AIDS-related illnesses, and an unknown number transmitted
01:28 HIV to their partners.
01:30 Neil King was infected with HIV, but wasn't told until years after testing positive.
01:35 He died just days before his daughter's 10th birthday.
01:39 It shouldn't have taken this long.
01:42 It's madness that it has.
01:43 I think the government have always known what happened, and it shouldn't have been brought
01:48 kicking and screaming into the light.
01:50 It should have come out a long, long time ago.
01:52 The second group were blood transfusions after childbirth or surgery, 27,000 of whom were
01:57 infected with Hepatitis C.
02:00 More than 3,000 people in this group are known to have died.
02:04 The Haemophilia Society charity has estimated that, between the start of the inquiry and
02:09 the reports being published today, 650 more people will have died.
02:14 The inquiry began in 2018, after being launched by then Prime Minister Theresa May the previous
02:20 year.
02:21 Victims and their families have suffered pain and hardship, and they deserve answers.
02:27 And the inquiry that I've announced today will give them those answers, so they will
02:31 know why this happened, how it happened.
02:34 This was an appalling tragedy, and it should never have happened.
02:37 The inquiry has heard testimony from hundreds of witnesses and reviewed thousands of documents.
02:43 Politicians brought before the inquiry include former Prime Minister John Major and former
02:48 Health Secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Andy Burnham.
02:51 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to issue an apology on Monday afternoon, and
02:56 plans for a multi-billion pound compensation scheme will be announced on Tuesday.
03:02 Today's report has delivered the truth that campaigners have waited decades for.
03:07 Several thousands, though, have not lived to see this day.
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