Background of the scandal
In the 1970s and 1980s, contaminated blood products infected over 30,000 people in the UK with HIV and hepatitis C. This event stands as the largest treatment disaster in the history of the National Health Service (NHS).
Groups affected
The scandal primarily affected two groups: haemophiliacs and patients receiving blood transfusions.
Haemophiliacs have a rare genetic condition that prevents their blood from clotting properly. A new treatment using donated human blood plasma was developed in the 1970s to replace missing clotting agents (Factor VIII for haemophilia A and Factor IX for haemophilia B). These treatments were contaminated with deadly viruses, resulting in about 1,250 people with bleeding disorders contracting both HIV and hepatitis C, including 380 children. Approximately two-thirds of these individuals later died from AIDS-related illnesses.
Between 1970 and 1991, patients who underwent blood transfusions after childbirth, surgery, or other medical treatments were also affected. It is estimated that between 80 and 100 of these patients contracted HIV, and about 27,000 developed hepatitis C.
The scale of the disaster
In total, it is believed that around 2,900 people have died due to the contaminated blood products. The Haemophilia Society reports that since the inquiry was announced in 2017, approximately 650 people infected with contaminated blood products or their bereaved partners have passed away.
Inquiry findings
The public inquiry into the scandal described the scale of the event as “horrifying” and accused doctors, the government, and the NHS of repeatedly failing patients. Sir Brian Langstaff, the inquiry chairman, emphasised that this disaster was not an accident but a result of systemic failures and an “attitude of denial” towards the risks associated with the treatments. The inquiry highlighted several critical points.