LONDON (AP) — British authorities and the country’s public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.’s infected blood scandal found Monday.
An estimated 3,000 people in the United Kingdom are believed to have died and many others were left with lifelong illnesses after receiving blood or blood products tainted with HIV or hepatitis in the 1970s to the early 1990s.
The scandal is widely seen as the deadliest disaster in the history of Britain’s state-run National Health Service since its inception in 1948.
Former judge Brian Langstaff, who chaired the inquiry, slammed successive governments and medical professionals for “a catalogue of failures” and refusal to admit responsibility to save face and expense. He found that deliberate attempts were made to conceal the scandal, and there was evidence of government officials destroying documents.
Ricky Stenhouse punching Kyle Busch could lead to suspension
Rebel Wilson thanks people for 'acknowledging my experiences with Sacha Baron Cohen'
Indiana voters to pick party candidates in competitive, multimillion dollar primaries
Target to lower prices on basic goods in response to inflation
Pregnant Megan McKenna puts her luxury three
What to know about Hamas again raising the possibility of a 2
Charli XCX's unearthed Lip Sync Battle is branded 'a virtual declaration of war' and 'a hate crime'
The government wants to buy their flood
Three cheers for the King! Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is a vision in green as King Willem
The unstoppable duo of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos
Household Cavalry horses injured after going on blind