Infected Tainted Blood Transfusions.

[Major Starbold]

I have read this before and it is dreadful.

Blood from Yankee prisons????????????????

Heads do not seem to roll when people are supposed to be responsible, we in this country seem to punish people for the trivialities and not major catastrophes.

If I had been affected my solicitor would have been onto this one ages ago.

WalesOnline - News - Wales News - Infected blood tragedies

Infected blood tragedies

Feb 24 2009.

FAILURES at the heart of Government led to thousands of patients being infected with HIV and Hepatitis C from tainted blood, an independent inquiry concluded yesterday.

The Archer inquiry described the scandal as an “horrific human tragedy”, and said public health authorities had been “lethargic” in the 1970s and 1980s.

It is estimated 4,670 haemophiliacs – who need regular blood transfusions – became infected with hepatitis C, and 1,243 contracted HIV. Some 1,800 are thought to have died.

The problems date from a 1975 decision to delay making the UK self-sufficient in blood products. But heat treatment of the blood to reduce the chances of infection was only introduced in 1985.

During that period the NHS bought blood from US suppliers who used “Skid Row” donors, such as prison inmates, more likely to have HIV and Hepatitis C.

The report said: “It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that commercial interests took precedence over public health concerns.”

[Earl]

Who knew the risks back then?

They were trying to get blood, and plenty of it. How many lives did they save?

The UK has one of the best health services in the world, despite all the criticism. We'll be worse off without it, and worse off for all the quick to sue patients.

[mimseycal]

I tend to agree Mr Morningstarr*, I am sure that this was not done with any malicious intent and I am equally sure that all that could be done to ease the suffering of the victims and their families has been done. Penalising the NHS by claiming grotesque sums of money in compensation is not going to undo what has been done and may well have a knock on effect in any future funding of life saving equipment and medication, to say nothing about staffing levels.

Live is a pile of shite sometimes and just occasionally it hits the fan as well.

[Major Starbold]

Late evenings there are quite a few Yankee prison programs on TV and they tell you quite openly about the drug problems in them.
Screening the blood would have been prudent IMO.

Did they get any from our own prisoners?

Can certain age school children safely give blood?

How about getting it from our universities?

How about getting it from our factories, those which are left, like they used to.

[Earl]

The experts were obviously confident that the risks were low. Why would they bother using blood if they thought it was unsafe?

[Major Starbold]

I am just trying to make the point Mr.M. that with such a massive amount of drugz in Yankee prisons someone on the blood team would have had doubts, concerns.

We have only recently started screening patients who enter hospital for D.DIFF and MRSA, we do seem to be slow or naive on screening IMO.

ps.“Commercial priorities should never again override the interests of public health.” Does this mean that the Yankee prisoners were paid for their blood and we were charged accordingly?

[Earl]

Why didn't they have concerns though? They must've thought it was fine, why go to all that effort to infect your patients? They might as well have just let them die in the first place.

[Major Starbold]

OK, they thought it was OK. but it obviously wasn't. Dreadful loss of life.
The report calls them lethargic and says it is a horrific human tragedy where 1800 people have thought to have died.
We were behind in our self sufficiency and sterilization of blood.

The report said: “It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that commercial interests took precedence over public health concerns.”

The finger is pointing.

If it happened to one of my loved ones I would have certainly have been raising a ruckus.

Losing anyone to a medical cock up must be horrific.

I expect that the insurance company will cough up then their premiumz will go up,

[Earl]

Without their efforts thousands more would have died. You try to help people and this is the thanks you get.

[Major Starbold]

Without their efforts thousands more would have died. You try to help people and this is the thanks you get.

You are on the ball tonight Mr.M.
Progression of science and medicine will always have casualties I suppose but redress is also important to keep people on their toes.