PRESS RELEASE
1st November, 2019
Final Victim Evidence to be Heard at the Infected Blood Public Inquiry Today
Des Collins: “There is no doubt there are still many, many questions to be answered.”
Today, the Infected Blood Public Inquiry will hear the final public testimonies from those infected and affected by the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
Having heard from 189 victims or their families, the Inquiry will take a break from hearing public evidence and continue to examine the millions of pages of evidence that it has gathered as part of the Inquiry process.
This will include the written statements from more than 1,400 additional ‘core participants’ in this process who were not selected to give oral evidence.
The Inquiry started to hear evidence in April this year from victims and their bereaved families – the infected and affected – and heard evidence in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds and London.
Des Collins, Senior Partner of Collins Solicitors representing over 1,400 people in relation to the Inquiry, commented:
“There is no doubt that the testimonies heard in public at this Inquiry have been incredibly hard to listen to.
There has been a pattern to so many of the stories we have heard of misinformation, lack of information, withholding information and the covering-up of information. To see and hear first-hand, again and again, what the effect on the lives of all those affected has been, has been truly shocking.
But to some extent, what is more appalling is that this treatment scandal went on for so long and affected so many thousands of people – of whom so many have died – and the authorities allowed it to continue. Those affected have had no explanation, no apology and no recompense.
The next stages for the Inquiry, in public at least, is to hear from the experts, civil servants and politicians, many of whom have knowledge of the background to the contaminated blood scandal.
There is no doubt there are still many, many questions to be answered.”
Press contacts:
Des Collins, Senior Partner, Collins Solicitors T) 01923 223 324, M) 07831 522 540 dcollins@collinslaw.co.uk:
Danielle Holliday, Partner, Collins Solicitors T) 01923 223 324, M) 07540 531 753 dholliday@collinslaw.co.uk:
Will Hulbert, PR, Hulbert & Co. T) 01603 431 936, M) 07774 108 699 will@hulbertandco.com:
