Kerr attacked for refusing inquiry into blood scandal
PATIENTS infected with Hepatitis C through infected blood products yesterday hit out at Andy Kerr, the health minister, for refusing a public inquiry into the scandal.
Holyrood's Health Committee recommended an investigation after hearing how thousands of NHS patients contracted the disease through infected NHS blood products in the 70s and 80s.
But Mr Kerr insisted an inquiry would not add "significantly" to an understanding of how the blood supplies came to be contaminated.
Andy Gunn, of the Scottish Haemophilia Group Forum, branded Mr Kerr's announcement as a "sham". Like hundreds of haemophiliacs in Scotland, Mr Gunn contracted HIV and Hepatitis C from infected blood and said thousands more are yet to discover they are infected.
Victims are now threatening to take legal action.
Roseanna Cunningham, convener of the Health Committee, was "extremely disappointed" the Executive will not look into complaints about a lack of tracing back blood products to ensure infected patients are found.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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