This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/03/full-statutory-inquiry-to-be-held-into-tainted-blood-scandal
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Full statutory inquiry to be held into tainted blood scandal | Full statutory inquiry to be held into tainted blood scandal |
| (2 months later) | |
| Inquiry into how contaminated blood infected thousands moved from health department to Cabinet Office after pressure from families | |
| Peter Walker Political correspondent | |
| Fri 3 Nov 2017 13.40 GMT | |
| First published on Fri 3 Nov 2017 11.57 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| An inquiry into how contaminated blood transfusions infected thousands of people with hepatitis C and HIV has been moved from the Department of Health to the Cabinet Office after pressure from families, Downing Street has announced. | An inquiry into how contaminated blood transfusions infected thousands of people with hepatitis C and HIV has been moved from the Department of Health to the Cabinet Office after pressure from families, Downing Street has announced. |
| The inquiry, ordered in July after years of pressure from MPs and campaign groups, will be held as a statutory public inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act, Theresa May’s spokesman said. | The inquiry, ordered in July after years of pressure from MPs and campaign groups, will be held as a statutory public inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act, Theresa May’s spokesman said. |
| An earlier parliamentary report found about 7,500 patients were infected by imported blood products from commercial organisations in the US, whose paid donors included injecting drug users and prison inmates. More than 2,400 haemophiliacs who received the tainted blood are dead. | An earlier parliamentary report found about 7,500 patients were infected by imported blood products from commercial organisations in the US, whose paid donors included injecting drug users and prison inmates. More than 2,400 haemophiliacs who received the tainted blood are dead. |
| While those affected and their families had welcomed the announcement of the inquiry, they had expressed concern that if it was held under the control of the Department of Health, it would in effect be investigating itself. | While those affected and their families had welcomed the announcement of the inquiry, they had expressed concern that if it was held under the control of the Department of Health, it would in effect be investigating itself. |
| This was of particular concern following fears expressed by some MPs that officials had sought to cover up the scale of the scandal. | This was of particular concern following fears expressed by some MPs that officials had sought to cover up the scale of the scandal. |
| May’s spokesman said the first secretary of state, Damian Green, would post a written ministerial statement on Friday giving details about the inquiry. | May’s spokesman said the first secretary of state, Damian Green, would post a written ministerial statement on Friday giving details about the inquiry. |
| “This follows a consultation with those who were affected on how the would like the inquiry to proceed,” he said, saying the consultation had received more than 800 written responses. | “This follows a consultation with those who were affected on how the would like the inquiry to proceed,” he said, saying the consultation had received more than 800 written responses. |
| “We have been absolutely clear of our determination to establish what happened in relation to the contaminated blood scandal of the 70s and 80s, and to work with the victims and families of those affected, and we are now moving forward with that process,” the spokesman said. | “We have been absolutely clear of our determination to establish what happened in relation to the contaminated blood scandal of the 70s and 80s, and to work with the victims and families of those affected, and we are now moving forward with that process,” the spokesman said. |
| Responsibility for the inquiry will move to the Cabinet Office, which is headed by Green. | Responsibility for the inquiry will move to the Cabinet Office, which is headed by Green. |
| “There was a strong view that it should be done away from the Department of Health. We’ve listened to those views, and that’s why it’ll be conducted under the auspices of the Cabinet Office,” the spokesman said. | “There was a strong view that it should be done away from the Department of Health. We’ve listened to those views, and that’s why it’ll be conducted under the auspices of the Cabinet Office,” the spokesman said. |
| It was not yet known who would head the inquiry or the terms of reference, he said, adding that a further announcement would be made before the end of the year. | It was not yet known who would head the inquiry or the terms of reference, he said, adding that a further announcement would be made before the end of the year. |
| A spokesman for the Haemophilia Society said it hoped the shift to the Cabinet Office “will be a turning point in helping the victims of this scandal finally get the justice they have long deserved”. | A spokesman for the Haemophilia Society said it hoped the shift to the Cabinet Office “will be a turning point in helping the victims of this scandal finally get the justice they have long deserved”. |
| “We now hope a new and fresh discussion will be launched to establish the chair and terms of reference, which can now include the many groups who, like us, had felt unable to work with the Department of Health when it was so clearly conflicted,” he added. | “We now hope a new and fresh discussion will be launched to establish the chair and terms of reference, which can now include the many groups who, like us, had felt unable to work with the Department of Health when it was so clearly conflicted,” he added. |
| Pressure for an inquiry had grown amid campaigning by the Labour MP Diana Johnson and Andy Burnham, the former Labour MP who is now mayor of Greater Manchester. | Pressure for an inquiry had grown amid campaigning by the Labour MP Diana Johnson and Andy Burnham, the former Labour MP who is now mayor of Greater Manchester. |
| Johnson, who co-chairs an all-party group on the issue, said she welcomed the move but stressed that the Department of Health should have no say on the chair, panel or terms of reference. | Johnson, who co-chairs an all-party group on the issue, said she welcomed the move but stressed that the Department of Health should have no say on the chair, panel or terms of reference. |
| “Secondly, this statutory inquiry must use its full powers to compel witnesses and hear evidence under oath. It must not be inhibited in its functions by the possibility of criminal liability being inferred,” she added. “Thirdly, the inquiry terms of reference must cover the aftermath of the tragedy as well as the run-up to infection. This includes the allegations of a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale.” | “Secondly, this statutory inquiry must use its full powers to compel witnesses and hear evidence under oath. It must not be inhibited in its functions by the possibility of criminal liability being inferred,” she added. “Thirdly, the inquiry terms of reference must cover the aftermath of the tragedy as well as the run-up to infection. This includes the allegations of a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale.” |
| Government have now done the right thing moving contaminated blood inquiry away from DOH and giving it full legal powers. https://t.co/3CyTNjZk2P | Government have now done the right thing moving contaminated blood inquiry away from DOH and giving it full legal powers. https://t.co/3CyTNjZk2P |
| Labour’s shadow public health minister, Sharon Hodgson, said: “Having been implicated in this public health scandal, it would be highly inappropriate for the department to be the sponsoring body. | Labour’s shadow public health minister, Sharon Hodgson, said: “Having been implicated in this public health scandal, it would be highly inappropriate for the department to be the sponsoring body. |
| “The thousands of innocent families affected by this appalling tragedy deserve justice and today’s decision is an important step in that direction.” | “The thousands of innocent families affected by this appalling tragedy deserve justice and today’s decision is an important step in that direction.” |
| Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said: “This is crucial to ensure that the inquiry is completely independent from the Department of Health, whose role in this scandal needs to be fully scrutinised.” | Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said: “This is crucial to ensure that the inquiry is completely independent from the Department of Health, whose role in this scandal needs to be fully scrutinised.” |
| The prime minister announced the contaminated blood inquiry hours before she faced possible defeat in a House of Commons vote on an emergency motion about the need for an investigation into the failings and the deaths. | The prime minister announced the contaminated blood inquiry hours before she faced possible defeat in a House of Commons vote on an emergency motion about the need for an investigation into the failings and the deaths. |
| Survivors welcomed the announcement, but said the decades-long wait for answers had been far too long. The contamination took place in the 1970s and 80s, and the government started paying those affected more than 25 years ago. | Survivors welcomed the announcement, but said the decades-long wait for answers had been far too long. The contamination took place in the 1970s and 80s, and the government started paying those affected more than 25 years ago. |
| In his final speech to the Commons in April, Burnham said he had been contacted by victims and families who believed medical records had been falsified to obscure the scandal, saying there was evidence of “a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale”. | In his final speech to the Commons in April, Burnham said he had been contacted by victims and families who believed medical records had been falsified to obscure the scandal, saying there was evidence of “a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale”. |
| The scandal has its origins in the 1970s when people with haemophilia began to be given “factor concentrates” to treat their symptoms. | The scandal has its origins in the 1970s when people with haemophilia began to be given “factor concentrates” to treat their symptoms. |
| Drug companies found they could take the clotting factors out of blood plasma and freeze-dry them into a powder. There was high demand for the concentrate, taken from blood plasma, and in the US prisoners and people who were addicted to drugs were among those paid to give their blood. Donations were mixed together, which increased the chances of contamination. | Drug companies found they could take the clotting factors out of blood plasma and freeze-dry them into a powder. There was high demand for the concentrate, taken from blood plasma, and in the US prisoners and people who were addicted to drugs were among those paid to give their blood. Donations were mixed together, which increased the chances of contamination. |
| Health | |
| Health policy | |
| news | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |