Publication of the infected blood inquiry final report

Responding to the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry Report, Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, said:

“Earlier today, the Infected Blood Inquiry published its final report. The Prime Minister has subsequently issued an apology on behalf of successive Governments and the entire British state. I want to do the same on behalf of the NHS in England now, and over previous decades.

“Today’s report brings to an end a long fight for answers and understanding that those people who were infected and their families, should never have had to face.

“We owe it to all those affected by this scandal, and to the thorough work of the Inquiry team and those who have contributed, to take the necessary time now to fully understand the report’s conclusions and recommendations.

“However, what is already very clear is that tens of thousands of people put their trust in the care they got from the NHS over many years, and they were badly let down.

“I therefore offer my deepest and heartfelt apologies for the role the NHS played in the suffering and the loss of all those infected and affected.

“In particular, I want to say sorry not just for the actions which led to life-altering and life-limiting illness, but also for the failures to clearly communicate, investigate and mitigate risks to patients from transfusions and treatments; for a collective lack of openness and willingness to listen, that denied patients and families the answers and support they needed; and for the stigma that many experienced in the health service when they most needed support.

“I also want to recognise the pain that some of our staff will have experienced when it became clear that the blood products many of them used in good faith may have harmed people they cared for.

“I know that the apologies I can offer now do not begin to do justice to the scale of personal tragedy set out in this report, but we are committed to demonstrating this in our actions as we respond to its recommendations.

“While we work through those actions, we continue to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to establish a bespoke psychological support service for those affected, which will be ready to support its first patients later this Summer.

“In the meantime, anyone who has health concerns can find information and support services at www.nhs.uk/infected-blood-support.

“Finally, while the long-term impacts of this scandal are far from over, I want to reassure patients needing blood and blood products today that rigorous modern safety standards continue to ensure that the NHS blood supply is now among the safest in the world, so please do continue to access treatment, and speak to your care team if you have any concerns.”

• Today, blood is distributed to NHS hospitals by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which was established in 2005 to provide a national blood and transplantation service to the NHS.
• NHSBT’s services follow strict guidelines and testing to protect both donors and patients, and are subject to regular inspections by independent regulators. All donors complete an extensive donor health check questionnaire before each blood donation, with potential donors considered at risk of passing on an infection being asked to defer donating until it is safe for them to do so, and all donations are then routinely tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis E, human immunodeficiency virus, syphilis and for first time donors, human T-lymphotropic virus, before they are released to hospitals.