Lawyers for the Department of Health and Social Care have told Infected Blood Inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff to be wary of being influenced by hindsight, suggestion and "the awareness of what came next' as he considers his final report into one of the NHS's biggest treatment disasters.
Sir Brian is set to conclude the ongoing Infected Blood Inquiry in 2023 and report back findings as to the circumstances which saw thousands - most predominantly haemophiliacs - were infected with lethal viruses like HIV and hepatitis C through NHS treatment. As the inquiry concludes, core participants including the DHSC have filed "closing submissions".
Notably, the Government legal team's 600-plus page submission warns Sir Brian that "it is now potentially impossible to trace over the decisions of the past". However, the DHSC lawyers add that "nothing in" the filing "should be taken to detract from the acceptance that things happened that should not have happened"; "that things went wrong" . Or from the unreserved apology for the fact that this was so."
