Infected Blood Inquiry to hear evidence from Scottish medics

The Infected Blood Inquiry will hear evidence this week from medics who worked for the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service in the 1980s and 1990s.

The inquiry was launched in September 2018 to investigate how as many as 30,000 people across the UK and 3,000 in Scotland were infected with HIV and hepatitis in the 1970s and ‘80s after being given contaminated blood.

Many patients were haemophiliacs or received blood transfusions.

Around 2,400 people died in what is recognised as one of the worst treatment scandals in the history of the NHS.

Pamela Pennycook aged 11, a few months after her surgery.

Dr Jack Gillon, a consultant haematologist who worked for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland Blood Transfusion Service from 1985 to 2006, will give evidence today.

Professor Stan Urbaniak, director of the service for Aberdeen and North East Scotland from 1983 to 1999 and then an adviser to the national service, will give evidence on Friday.

Dr Brian McClelland, director of the Edinburgh and South East service from 1977 to 2001, will speak to the inquiry tomorrow and Friday next week, and Dr Gamal Gabra, who worked for the Glasgow service in the 1980s, will give evidence in early February.

Pamela Pennycook, 52, from Edinburgh, is one of thousands of Scots affected by the scandal after being given a blood transfusion aged 11 in 1980 following spinal fusion surgery.

Pamela Pennycook with her husband John.

She had her lower right leg amputated at the age of 18, and when she was later diagnosed with Hepatitis C doctors told her this may have been a contributing factor.

Ms Pennycook also terminated a pregnancy not long after her diagnosis, after being told there was a risk to the child.

“I don't hate my life as this would be disrespectful to [my husband] John and my family, but I know it would have been different if I hadn’t contracted Hep C as a child,” she said.

"I would have gone to university like my peers rather than ‘coming to terms with my life as an amputee’. I would have had a career rather than just a job and most importantly I would have been mum.

Pamela Pennycook, now 52

"I've just had to react to situations as they present themselves through no fault of my own.”

Ms Pennycook initially faced stigma over her diagnosis and felt it was a “dirty secret”, as her parents had not been told she had been given a blood transfusion and other forms of transmission included intravenous drug use.

She has recently opened up to friends and family before giving evidence to the inquiry, and found it a “very positive experience”.

Ms Pennycook added: “Once this inquiry comes to an end, hopefully they will have the answers that they were looking for.

"But it will always be here. You know, maybe we don't think about it every day, but maybe every second day, it's still ongoing. Do they really know what's happened to us?

"Do they know what the real life stories are? Do they take this into account and not just focus on figures or statistics? It's about the people and their stories.”

The Infected Blood Inquiry has asked anyone who was either infected themselves or close to someone who was, to come forward to give evidence. More information can be found at www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk.

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