Infected Blood Inquiry Final Report

From our Chair, Nigel Hamilton:

As a victim of the Infected blood scandal and Chair of Haemophilia Northern Ireland I write from the Inquiry in London on the day of publication of the full Report by Sir Brian Langstaff's team.

There are over 1000 attending victims, infected and affected, Legal teams, and other support organisations like Red Cross.

The Report highlights the mismanagement and exclusion of victims by successive Governments and The National Health Service in addressing the key issues which led to this appalling tragedy. "I have been looking forward to the publication and this day with trepidation and a cascade of emotions ranging from relief a sense of achievement to pain, loss both personal and infected blood community as a whole and in Northern Ireland as a whole. I lost my twin Simon on Christmas day and several other close campaign victims in recent months and really feel the sense of loss being palpable.

As we wait for the Judge to come forward to address us and highlight is key recommendations I feel emotionally exhausted."

"This process has taken too long and the reaction from successive Governments too slow.

Now it has come to conclusion I don't feel elation nor closure and the term justice feels deflated and hollow.

"The culture and candour in Govt and the Northern Ireland Health Service needs to be rewritten. The one thing that must be learned is that patients must be involved in their treatment and transparency needs to be understood, respected and provided.

Justice isn't hollow it's complete and intact and essential for the victims and families of the Infected Blood disaster.the government must recognise the lessons to be learnt and put them into action. I asked our Health Minister to come to the Inquiry and he did I spoke with him about the report recommendations and will meet with him again several times once we've had times to digest them."