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.
Kosovo prepares a new draft law on renting prison cells to Denmark after the first proposal failed
Thousands of Russians join Navalny
VOX POPULI: Voters won’t forget ‘politics of oblivion’ in the next election
Minister 'not convinced' Fire and Emergency needs further levy boost
US overdose deaths dropped in 2023, the first time since 2018
VOX POPULI: Ruling may be near on how to best romanize Japanese
Chinese hackers breached US ambassador to China's email account
Luke Littler's Premier League darts rival Michael van Gerwen, 34, says the 17
What's next for Iran after death of its president in crash?
Iceland violent volcanic flare