The Haemophilia Society has warmly greeted the announcement of an opening date [27th March] for the independent inquiry into how thousands of people with haemophilia were infected with HIV, hepatitis C and other blood borne viruses by the NHS.
Haemophilia Society Chairman, Roddy Morrison, said: "Since we first heard that Lord Archer of Sandwell had agreed to chair the inquiry there has been a groundswell of interest among the haemophilia community.
"All over the country members of the haemophilia community will be hoping that the inquiry will bring out the full facts of how and why a generation of people with haemophilia were exposed to life threatening viruses through the use by the NHS of contaminated blood products in their treatment.
"We are particularly encouraged that the consequences of the treatment disaster will be examined. Many have suffered with financial hardship and are struggling to support their families; some have even had to give up their homes.
"We have been campaigning for 19 years for an inquiry and now at last the voices of those most affected will be heard. For this we have to particularly thank Lord Morris of Manchester for his tremendous work in getting us to this point."
Ends
Note to newsdesk
Haemophilia is a condition where one of the clotting proteins in the blood (most commonly factor VIII) is either missing or present at a very low level.
The condition is treated by injection of the missing clotting factor protein. The protein can now be created through recombinant technology.
However during the period when the infections of the haemophilia population took place it was derived from the pooled plasma of many thousands of donors. Blood borne viruses present in the pooled plasma can infect all of the clotting factor protein extracted from it.
