Infected blood scandal: Inquiry into NHS disaster to publish findings

The public inquiry into the infected blood scandal, known as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history, is due to publish its findings. More than 30,000 people were infected with HIV and hepatitis C between 1970 and 1991 by contaminated blood products and transfusions. Around 3,000 of them have since died - many haemophiliacs given infected blood products as part of their treatment. Chairman Sir Brian Langstaff will present his findings on Monday.

The Infected Blood Inquiry took evidence between 2019 and 2023. Two main groups of people were caught up in the scandal. One was people with haemophilia, and those with similar disorders, who have a rare genetic condition which means their blood does not clot properly. In the 1970s, a new treatment was developed to replace the missing clotting agents, made from donated human blood plasma.

But whole batches of the treatments - Factor VIII and Factor IX - were contaminated with deadly viruses.Some of the treatments were imported from the US where blood was bought from high-risk donors such as prison inmates and drug-users. The second group affected include people who had a blood transfusion after childbirth, accidents and during medical treatment. Blood used for these patients was not imported, but some of it was also contaminated, mainly with hepatitis C. Sir Brian's two interim reports, published in July 2022 and April 2023, made recommendations about compensation for victims and their families.

The government has said it accepts the "moral case" for compensation, and interim payouts of £100,000 each have already been made to about 4,000 survivors and bereaved partners. Ministers have promised to address the issue of final compensation once the inquiry's report is published. The total cost is likely to run into billions. On Sunday, the Conservatives and Labour both committed to compensation for victims, no matter the outcome of the general election expected later this year.