Politicians, doctors and civil servants carried out a chilling and pervasive cover-up , which led to the deaths of around 3,000 people through contaminated blood, a damning inquiry has found. Tens of thousands of people were avoidably infected with HIV and Hepatitis in the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS , according to a 2,527-page report released on Monday. The inquiry into the shameful scandal found the public was falsely reassured, children were treated unnecessarily and that a significant number of people remain undiagnosed after receiving blood transfusions in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
The NHS was also accused of defensive closing of ranks and that there had been a deliberate destruction of documents, including people’s medical records. John Glen, the Cabinet Office minister dealing with the scandal on behalf of the government, has refused to rule out criminal proceedings, saying: “If there’s clear evidence and there is a pathway to that, then it’s obviously something the government will have to address. I can’t be sure, but we’ve got to give these people justice.
” A compensation package for victims worth more than £10billion is expected to be announced by ministers while, Rishi Sunak is set to apologise on behalf of the government..