To be so completely shocked by the blood scandal

Sadly this is not over the compensation announced to huge headlines is NOT new money. A lot of infected individuals receive support payments and those will stop. The compensation amounts (apart from some very high numbers for the co infected) will be LESS than what they currently receive. Another sleight of hand from the government. This is taking from one hand to give to another but the headlines look great of course.

And just to be cynical, Rishi Sunak will wrap up his joke of a government just in time to leave the new Labour government to pay the bill, currently estimated at over £10 billion. Billion.

Every single one of us will be paying to the victims for the failings of those conscience-devoid fuckers.

Is it fair that we expect Dr's to ruin their careers, whilst achieving nothing, but the people in the Trust and Govt carry on as before?

It is fair to expect that the doctors should do their job well and if they knowingly infect you with HIV and Hep-C, that they should go to prison.

It is also fair to expect the political decision-makers who allowed this shambles to meet them there, for life.

You raise a very interesting point. In terms of becoming infected via blood/blood products, the risk now is far lower but it's not completely eliminated. More on that here:

https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/who-we-are/transparency/infected-blood-inquiry/frequently-asked-questions/

Essentially, it's possible that the donor's blood was not tested against a less common infection or that a donor was in early stages of an infection which was not detected and it's picked up after the event, e.g.: at the point of a follow up donation. However, the risks are very, very low.

Absolutely agree with this - It’s becoming ridiculous and so dangerous.

They really do have a massive problem with informed consent

Fuckers.

https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/women-severe-pain-hysteroscopy-nhs/

And 'Whistleblowers' are still not protected, are they?

We seem to have a real problem calling the NHS to account. Its like a bloody cult.

*The Govt is in control of the NHS, Dr's etc are not in control of Whitehall, who all knew what was going on but chose to do nothing.

If the people in charge think they can escape justice by blaming Dr's and Nurses, thats exactly what they'll do and we will get further scandals, nothing will change and we've seen this before.*

Surely it’s both though, the government are ultimately responsible for their governance, and for creating the conditions where this could both happen and be covered up. Parliamentary government and civil servants should be held to account for their role in this over decades.

Individual medics made the decision to use blood products knowing they weren’t safe, to actively experiment on children. They too should be held to account.

Actually think it might have been ITV News

There was a guy called Chris on Channel 4 news last night who lost his father to this. He hasnt seen a doctor for 15 years because he doesnt trust them

It’s absolutely heartbreaking that so many people have lost their health, and their lives. It’s scandalous that repeated government have chosen to ignore, suppress and cover up. It’s abhorrent that Sunak is now giving yet another apology for institutional and systemic failure of government to protect its citizens. All over the place people protecting their own position and playing politics with scant regard to the lives people live and the impact of their decision making. We should be rioting in the streets.

Have you even read the report?

Doctors deliberately experimented on children. I am very comfortable with people like that being blamed, prosecuted and convicted if they are still alive.

Bearing in mind that those who receive blood transfusions still aren't allowed to donate afterwards, I also wonder just how "historic" this is

I realise that policy adjustments move at the speed of an arthritic snail, but if this scandal really did only affect things up to tthe 1990s why hasn't that changed yet?

Don't see why. Covering its arse is about the only thing the UK Civil Service is any good at. Mind you, it's had enough practice.

Woah. It is clear that doctors involved knew full well what was going on, and should be held to account. There has to be absolute transparency around this or the knock on effects will be horrendous. It could easily completely breakdown the trust of the public in health care entirely and if it is not addressed cooly and rationally all sorts of conspiracy theories will abound with potentially disastrous results for public health in the future.

@Alexandra2001

I agree with what you say about the Government but I also think that there are too many Consultants and Doctors that play god and believe they are untouchable because their backs are covered and they are! Look at all the latest failings in the news within the NHS.

Yes but its a bit of a chicken and egg thing.

I want these scandals to end but until we start jailing people at the top, they wont end.

I recently read a book on a Consultant who was a whistleblower, the Trust treated him like a criminal, he wont work as a Dr again.

Is it fair that we expect Dr's to ruin their careers, whilst achieving nothing, but the people in the Trust and Govt carry on as before?

Yes there will be Dr's who should face charges but what i don't want to see is the NHS carry the can for Govt failures, for example Jeremy Hunt knew 12 years ago about this scandal, what did he do? he was in post for 6 years.... the Tories for 14 years...
What did Blairs Govt do? they were in for 13 years...

These people will seek to blame the culture, plead medical ignorance and blame individual Dr's.

@Alexandra2001 The Govt is in control of the NHS, Dr's etc are not in control of Whitehall, who all knew what was going on but chose to do nothing.

I think you are letting the Dr’s off far too lightly. They knew what they were doing was wrong and I think its a problem within the NHS now and still a big problem with far too many coverups and closing ranks.

I'm not "washing blame away" i'm saying that the politicians and civil servants are ultimately to blame, they control the purse strings and created the culture of denial.

The Govt is in control of the NHS, Dr's etc are not in control of Whitehall, who all knew what was going on but chose to do nothing.

If the people in charge think they can escape justice by blaming Dr's and Nurses, thats exactly what they'll do and we will get further scandals, nothing will change and we've seen this before.

Nothing to do with NHS worship but about the culture and where blame really rests.

Around 250 people die each week, right now, because they do not get the care they need (Royal College of Emergency Medicine) is that the fault of Dr's Nurses and Paramedics or the Govt?

Reputation is always more important to British institutions than truth or justice. We have a long list of these scandals and cover-ups now and nothing changes.

Our culture is toxic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1997z82gdro

Some other countries settled this over 20 years ago. The lengths that were taken to deny what has happened is really eye opening. A female journalist first raised the alarm in 1983 .

Agreed

Ahh I'm so shocked at the continuing naivety of the young with governments ,when will we learn .Remember after the first world war when they said it would be country fit for heroes and in reality disabled men were begging on street corners .
It's never changed .
Remember when children were in care because there was no one to care for them , that went well .