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. |
VOX POPULI: Professionalism will be the key to successful rideInflation runs hot for third straight month, driven by gas prices and rentCapitol rioters' families draw hope from Trump's promise of pardonsIn Ireland, pubs now offer more than just a pintUS China news update: USA renews warning it would defend Philippines after China spatYan Chenglong: Chinese chess champ dethroned after defecating and sex toy cheat claims‘They saw me as a cheat and a liar’Coronavirus China protests: top health officials deflect blame over zeroHong Kong drama groups struggle with red lines as shows axedLess than 8% of Brazilian cities have 5G