Victims Angry At Blood Inquiry 'Whitewash'

HIV and hepatitis C sufferers and their relatives have reacted angrily following the publication of a report investigating how they were infected with contaminated blood.

The Penrose report followed a public inquiry set up by the Scottish government after hundreds of people - many of whom were haemophiliacs - were given infected blood by the NHS during the 1970s and 1980s.

A statement from Lord Penrose - who was not present because he is seriously ill - was read out by the inquiry secretary, Maria McCann, after which several attendees called out "whitewash" to show their disapproval of the findings.

Victim Bruce Norval, who explained he was involved throughout the whole process, had read the report in total as well as every piece of evidence, said the report was "a piece of nonsense".

He went on: "It does not match the evidence, it does not match the charges. It doesn't address the main issues. It degrades patient opinion against medical opinion despite the fact that doctors very clearly have more to lose through an adverse report than we do.

"Their opinion in the form of hearsay, ie: 'We told patients that they were getting hepatitis' was taken over the idea that thousands of UK patients have said: 'No we weren't'."

The statement read on Lord Penrose's behalf said: "For people infected by HIV/Aids and/or hepatitis C, the impact on their lives and the lives of their loved ones has often been devastating.

"I would also comment on the often forgotten suffering of clinical staff, who discovered that the treatments they thought were beneficial to patients actually caused them to become infected with life-threatening conditions.

"They too have been affected, especially when accused of knowing or deliberate attempts to harm patients."

The sole recommendation from Lord Penrose's report was that people who had blood transfusions in the 1970s and 1980s and before 1991 should be tested for hepatitis C.

The Prime Minister, speaking at the last Prime Minister's Questions before the General Election, apologised, saying: "To each and every one of those people I would like to say sorry on behalf of the Government for something that should not have happened.

"While it will be for the next government to take account of these findings, it is right that we use this moment to recognise the pain and the suffering experienced by people as a result of this tragedy.

"It is difficult to imagine the feelings of unfairness that people must feel at being infected with hepatitis C and HIV as a result of a totally unrelated treatment within the NHS."

Scotland's Health Secretary Shona Robison later apologised on behalf of the NHS and her government.

The inquiry only looked at those in Scotland who had been infected.

Thousands more people in England and Wales were also infected at the time.