LONDON (AP) — British authorities and the country’s public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.’s infected blood scandal found Monday.
An estimated 3,000 people in the United Kingdom are believed to have died and many others were left with lifelong illnesses after receiving blood or blood products tainted with HIV or hepatitis in the 1970s to the early 1990s.
The scandal is widely seen as the deadliest disaster in the history of Britain’s state-run National Health Service since its inception in 1948.
Former judge Brian Langstaff, who chaired the inquiry, slammed successive governments and medical professionals for “a catalogue of failures” and refusal to admit responsibility to save face and expense. He found that deliberate attempts were made to conceal the scandal, and there was evidence of government officials destroying documents.
Scenery of azalea blossoms in Zhalantun City, N China
Beautiful scenery of Mount Taishan, E China
China’s first national botanical garden to take shape in Beijing
Inquiry slams UK authorities for failures that killed thousands in infected blood scandal
Grand Canal to get refilled with water in all dried
A visit to Fuzhou: Don’t miss these sublime historical and cultural sites
Amazing sea of cloud appears over township in Hubei
With Djokovic awaiting the winner, Murray trails Hanfmann at rain
Scenery of Xilingol Grassland in Inner Mongolia
Insider Q&A: CIA's chief technologist's cautious embrace of generative AI
Red tourism booming as CPC celebrates centenary