Contamination and cover-up: Infected Blood Scandal explained

It's been described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS 10s of thousands of people infected with HIV or hepatitis C after being treated with contaminated blood. Today, the final reports from the infected blood inquiry says the scandal was no accident. People put their trust in doctors and the government to keep them safe, and that trust was betrayed. And then the government compounded the agony by telling them that nothing wrong had been done. Between 1970 and 1991, thirty thousand people were infected. During that time, the UK pioneered new treatments for conditions like hemophilia using donated blood. However, blood was brought in from the United States to meet demand for the new drugs. This was often donated from prisoners and drug addicts who were paid to give blood. At the time this meant entire batches of the drug were often contaminated. There were numerous warnings about the imported blood and the risks, but the UK was unable to produce the amounts of blood it needed so carried on importing it from overseas. 2 main groups were affected by the scandal. The first group were hemophiliacs, 1250 of whom were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C 2/3 of them later died of AIDS related illnesses at an unknown number transmitted HIV to their partners. Neil King was infected with HIV but wasn't told until years after testing positive. He died just days before his daughter's 10th birthday. It shouldn't have taken this long. It's madness to say it has. I think the government have always known what happened and it shouldn't have been brought kicking and screaming into the light. It's it should have come out a long, long time ago. The second group where blood transfusions after childbirth or surgery, 27 thousand of whom were infected with hepatitis C More than 3000 people in this group are known to have died. The Haemophilia Society charity has estimated that between the start of the inquiry and the reports being published today, 650 more people will have died. The inquiry began in 2018 after being launched by then Prime Minister Theresa May the previous year. The victims and their families have suffered pain and hardship and they deserve answers. And the inquiry that I've announced today will give them those answers so they will know why this happened, how it happened. This was an appalling tragedy and it should never have happened. The inquiry has heard testimony from hundreds of witnesses and reviewed thousands of documents. Politicians brought before the inquiry include former Prime Minister John Major and former health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Andy Burnham. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to issue an apology on Monday afternoon and plans for a multi billion # compensation scheme will be announced on Tuesday. Today's report has delivered the truth that campaigners have waited decades for. Several thousands, though have not lived to see this day.