Infected Blood Inquiry

This is an independent public statutory inquiry established to examine the circumstances in which men, women and children treated in the United Kingdom were given infected blood andinfected blood products.

The Infected Blood Inquiry exposed a tragic series of failings in the UK's healthcare system:

• Unsafe Blood Products: thousands of people were infected with HIV and hepatitis through contaminated blood products, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s. Thousands died from the infections and many more suffered lifelong health problems.
• Institutional Failures: The inquiry found the government and NHS were responsible for covering up anddownplayingthe risks,and failed to take proper preventative measures.
• Patient Disregard: The inquiry highlighted a lack of respect for patient views and patient autonomy and failedto obtain informed consent for blood transfusions and research associated with blood products.
• Missed Opportunities:the report found a misplaced focus on absolute certainty about risks hampered taking necessary actions to protect public health.

Following the Inquiry's findings, the government issued a public apology and is establishinga financial compensation scheme for the victims.Thefull inquiry report, published 20th May 2024,can be found by following the weblink above.

There is also a YouTube channel for the inquiry, onto which the public hearings for the inquiry have been uploaded:

YouTube Channel: Infected Blood Inquiry

Information from NHSBT on the inquiry can be found here:

NHSBT: Infected Blood Inquiry

A statement from the Patient's Association can be found here:

Patient's Association: Infected Blood Inquiry

A letter from NHS England to all regions, integrated care boards and NHS trusts regarding the inquiry can be found here:

NHS England: IBI Letter