The infected blood scandal has been hailed the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS. Over 3,000 people have died as a result of receiving contaminated blood products in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and it is estimated that an infected person still dies every four days.
As the scandal unfolded, repeated calls for justice and recognition were ignored. An independent public inquiry was finally announced in 2017. The delay is itself a source of harm.
Too many have died without redress or adequate support. The infected blood inquiry, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, is the largest public inquiry ever carried out in the UK. The inquiry is due to issue its final report on May 20 2024.
