PM statement on the Infected Blood Inquiry: 20 May 2024
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's statement to the House of Commons on the Infected Blood Inquiry.
Mr Speaker, Sir Brian Langstaff has today published the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry.
This is a day of shame for the British state.
Today바카라 사이트檚 report shows a decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life.
From the National Health Service to the civil service, to ministers in successive governments바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트t every level, the people and institutions in which we place our trust바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ailed in the most harrowing and devastating way.聽
They failed the victims and their families 바카라 사이트� and they failed this country.聽
Sir Brian finds a 바카라 사이트渃atalogue바카라 사이트� of systemic, collective, and individual failures바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ach on its own serious바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd taken together amounting to a 바카라 사이트渃alamity바카라 사이트�.
And the result of this inquiry should shake our nation to its core.
This should have been avoided.聽聽
It was known these treatments were contaminated.聽
Warnings were ignored. Repeatedly.聽
Time and again people in positions of power and trust had the chance to stop the transmission of those infections.
Time and again they failed do so.聽
Sir Brian finds an 바카라 사이트渁ttitude of denial바카라 사이트� towards the risks of treatment.
Worse, to our eternal shame, in a way that is hard to even comprehend바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hey allowed victims to become 바카라 사이트渙bjects for research바카라 사이트�.
Many 바카라 사이트� including children at Lord Mayor Treloar College - were part of trials바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트onducted without their or their parents바카라 사이트� knowledge or consent.
Those with haemophilia or bleeding disorders were infected with HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B through NHS treatment바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hrough blood clotting products, such as Factor 8바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ncluding those who had been misdiagnosed and did not even require treatment.
Many were infected through whole blood transfusions.
Others were infected through their partners and loved ones바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ften after diagnoses had been deliberately withheld for months or even years바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트eaning these infections should easily have been prevented.聽聽
I find it almost impossible to comprehend how it must have felt바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o be told you had been infected - through no fault of your own - with HIV, or Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C바카라 사이트β�
바카라 사이트r to face the grief of losing a child, or to be a young child and lose your Mum or Dad.聽
Many of those infected went on to develop horrific conditions including cirrhosis, liver cancer, pneumonia, TB, and AIDS바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nduring debilitating treatments like interferon for these illnesses 바카라 사이트� illnesses the NHS had given them.
Many were treated disdainfully by healthcare professionals who made appalling assumptions about the origin of their infections.聽
Worse still, they were made to think they were imagining it바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ade to feel stupid.
They felt abandoned by the NHS that had infected them.
Those who acquired HIV endured social rejection, vilification, and abuse바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트t a time when society understood so little about the emerging epidemic of AIDs.聽
With illness came the indignity of financial hardship바카라 사이트�.聽
바카라 사이트ncluding for carers and those widowed and other bereaved family members.聽
And throughout it all, victims and their loved ones have had to fight for justice바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ight to be heard, fight to be believed, fight to uncover the full truth.聽
Some had their medical records withheld, or even destroyed.
And the inquiry finds that some 바카라 사이트 papers were destroyed바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트n a 바카라 사이트渄eliberate attempt to make the truth more difficult to reveal.바카라 사이트�
Sir Brian explicitly asks the question 바카라 사이트渨as there a cover-up?바카라 사이트澛�
Let me directly quote his answer for the House:
바카라 사이트淭here has been바카라 사이트�.
He continues: 바카라 사이트淣ot in the sense of a handful of people plotting in an orchestrated conspiracy to mislead바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ut in a way that was more subtle, more pervasive and more chilling in its implications.
To save face and to save expense there has been a hiding of much of the truth.바카라 사이트�
Mr Speaker, more than 3,000 people died without that truth.聽
They died without an apology.聽
They died without knowing how and why this was allowed to happen바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd they died without seeing anyone held to account.聽
Today, I want to speak directly to the victims and their families 바카라 사이트� some of whom are with us in the gallery.聽
I want to make a wholehearted and unequivocal apology for this terrible injustice.
First, to apologise for the failure in blood policy and blood products, and the devastating - and so often fatal 바카라 사이트� impact this had on so many lives바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ncluding the impact of treatments that were known or proved to be contaminated.
The failure to respond to the risk of imported concentrates.
The failure to prioritise self-sufficiency in blood.聽
The failure to introduce screening services sooner.
바카라 사이트nd the mismanagement of the response to the emergence of AIDS and hepatitis viruses amongst infected blood victims.
Second, to apologise for the repeated failure of the State and our medical professionals to recognise the harm caused.
This includes the failure of previous payments schemes바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트he inadequate levels of funding made available바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd the failure to recognise Hepatitis B victims.
And third, to apologise for the institutional refusal to face up to these failings 바카라 사이트� and worse, to deny and even attempt to cover them up.聽
The dismissing of reports and campaigners바카라 사이트� detailed representations.
The loss and destruction of key documents including Ministerial advice and medical records.
And the appalling length of time it took to secure the public inquiry which has delivered the full truth today.
Mr Speaker, layer upon layer of hurt, endured across decades.
This is an apology from the State - to every바카라 사이트� single바카라 사이트� person바카라 사이트� impacted by this scandal.聽
It did not have to be this way.聽
It should never have been this way.聽
And on behalf of this and every 바카라 사이트 stretching back to the 1970s바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트 am truly sorry.聽
Mr Speaker, today is a day for the victims and their families바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o hear the full truth acknowledged by all바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd, in the full presence of that truth, to remember the many, many lost loved ones.聽
But justice also demands action and accountability.
So I make two solemn promises.聽
First, we will pay comprehensive compensation to those infected and those affected by this scandal바카라 사이트�.
바카라 사이트ccepting the principles recommended by the inquiry which builds on the work of Sir Robert Francis.
Whatever it costs to deliver this scheme, we will pay it.聽 聽
And my Rt Hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office will set out the details tomorrow.聽
Second, it is not enough to say sorry, pay long overdue compensation and then attempt to move on.聽
There can be no moving on from a report that is so devastating in its criticisms.聽
Of course, in some areas medical practice has long since evolved.
And no-one is questioning that every day our NHS provides amazing and lifesaving care to the British people.
But Sir Brian and his team have made wide-ranging recommendations.聽
We will study them in detail before returning to this House with a full response.
And we must fundamentally rebalance the system바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o we finally address this pattern, so familiar from other inquiries like Hillsborough바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트here innocent victims have to fight for decades just to be believed. 聽聽聽
Mr Speaker, the whole House will join me in thanking Sir Brian and his team바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트specially for keeping the infected blood community at the heart of their work.聽聽
We would not be here today without those who tirelessly fought for justice for so many years.聽
I include journalists and Parliamentarians in both Houses바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트� especially the Rt Hon Member for Kingston upon Hull North.聽
But most of all, the victims, and their families바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트any of whom have dedicated their lives, leading charities, and campaign groups바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ouring their own money into decades of running helplines, archiving, researching, and pursuing legal cases바카라 사이트�.聽
바카라 사이트ften in the face of appalling prejudice.
It is impossible to capture the full pain and injustice they have faced.聽
Their sorrow has been unimaginable.
They have watched loved ones die.聽
Cared for them as they suffered excruciating treatments or provided their palliative care.聽
Many families were broken up by the strain.
Hundreds of thousands of lives have been knocked off course; dreams and potential unfulfilled.
But today their voices have finally been heard.聽
The full truth stands for all to see.聽
And we will work together across government, our health services, and civil society바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트o ensure that nothing like this can ever happen in our country again.
And I commend this statement to the House.