Recognised for his work leading the legal team representing over 1,400 people at the Infected Blood Public Inquiry and the concurrent (but currently stayed) Contaminated Blood Products Group Litigation, the prestigious Outstanding Achievement of the Year award is selected by the panel of judges at the Modern Law Awards, which includes a number of leading lights of the UK legal industry.
Led by Des Collins, Collins Solicitors has been instrumental in bringing about the statutory Infected Blood Public Inquiry looking into how and why thousands of people in the 1970s and 80s were given infected blood and blood products, from which thousands have died. Acknowledged as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, the significance of the Public Inquiry to those affected and their families, cannot be understated. It has the largest number of core participants ever involved in a public inquiry in the UK and is currently examining millions of documents.
Des Collins, Senior Partner at Collins Solicitors, said: “While I am delighted to accept this award, it would not be possible to achieve what we have as a firm, together with our clients, without an enormous amount of support, and for that I am hugely grateful.
It is also bitter sweet to win an award which relates to these significant, ongoing matters – the Infected Blood Public Inquiry and the associated Group Litigation – which should never have been needed in the first place.
Our firm has always tried to champion cases that give a voice to those who otherwise would not be heard, for whatever reason, and we will continue to campaign for justice for the many, many victims and their families of this awful scandal.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
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, T) 01603 431 936, M) 07774 108 699 will@hulbertandco.com
