Between 1970 and 1991, thousands of patients across the country were given infected blood and infected blood products by NHS services. With that there was the risk of infection from viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV. Earlier this year (May), the final report of the national Infected Blood Inquiry was published.
In the wake of that report, county councillors asked to be updated on the number of Hertfordshire residents that had been affected and the measures that were being implemented locally. At a meeting of the public health and community safety cabinet panel on Wednesday (June 26), councillors heard that information of the number of people that had been affected in Hertfordshire was “not available”. But it did accept that there may still be a “small number of patients” who had received infected blood historically and may not have been identified – particularly if infected with hepatitis C.
“Given the time that has elapsed since the last use of infected blood products, most of those who were directly affected have been identified and started appropriate treatment,” says the report. “However, there may be a small number of patients where this is not the case, and particularly where they are living with asymptomatic hepatitis C. “Information on how many people have been affected in Hertfordshire is not available.
” At the meeting, it was reported that imported blood infected with HIV and hepatitis C had been given to patients in the form of tra.
