More than 30,000 people in the United Kingdom were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
A public inquiry has described the scale of the scandal as “horrifying” and accused doctors, the British government and National Health Service(NHS) of repeatedly failing patients.
British government says a final compensation scheme is being set up, and that some victims will receive interim payments of £210,000 from the summer onwards.But what is the infected blood scandal?
Why and how did it happen?
In the 1970s and 80s, people with hemophilia in the UK got a new treatment called Factor VIII, which was a clotting agent, as Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that impairs the body’s ability to make blood clots.
The UK could not produce enough Factor VIII domestically, so they imported the product from the United States. Unfortunately, the US supply was often sourced from high-risk donors, including prisoners and drug addicts.
These donors were more likely to carry bloodborne infections like HIV and Hepatitis C. Despite known risks, the UK continued to import these products due to domestic shortages.
During the early years of the crisis, effective screening for viruses in blood donations was yet to be available. Even when testing methods improved, there were delays in implementing comprehensive screening protocols.
Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were growing concerns and evidence about the risks of bloodborne infections from Factor VIII. Reports of infections were initially dismissed or downplayed.
What were the consequences?
Many of these patients developed severe health complications. Hepatitis C often leads to chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. For those infected with HIV, the virus could lead to Aids, a condition that significantly weakens the immune system.
The contaminated blood products resulted in a high number of fatalities. It is estimated that around 3,000 people died as a direct result of infections from the contaminated blood products.
The victims and their families faced significant psychological and social challenges. Many experienced stigma and discrimination due to their HIV-positive status.
Did the victims get justice?
Victims and their families pursued legal action against the government and pharmaceutical companies. However, initial attempts to secure compensation were met with resistance and prolonged legal war.
Persistent campaigning by victims, families, and advocacy groups led to calls for a public inquiry.Over time, various compensation schemes were established to support victims and their families. However, many argued that these measures were inadequate and came too late.
On May 21, the government announced a new authority to handle a fresh compensation program for the victims.People infected with HIV may receive compensation ranging from £2.2 million to £2.6 million. Those with chronic hepatitis C lasting over six months could get between £665,000 and £810,000.
Reactions
There have been formal apologies from government officials acknowledging the failures that led to the scandal.
In 2019, then-prime minister Boris Johnson issued a public apology, recognizing the suffering endured by the victims and their families.
As reported by BBC, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed sincere remorse for mishandling the infected blood scandal and called it a decades-long moral failure.
Sunak described it as a “day of shame for the British state.”
