Infected blood scandal
During the 1970s, the National Health Service (NHS) faced a challenge in meeting the increasing demand for blood within the country. This surge in demand was primarily driven by the introduction and widespread use of new treatments derived from blood products. To fulfill this demand, the NHS relied on importing approximately 50% of its blood and blood-derived products, including from the United States. However, this practice came with its own set of issues.
In the United States, individuals were financially compensated for donating blood, which attracted people from high-risk groups, such as those more likely to have hepatitis C or HIV. Unfortunately, during this time, blood was not initially screened for these viruses, leading to a significant problem.
The contaminated blood scandal refers to a devastating situation that unfolded during the 1970s and 80s. Thousands of individuals with haemophilia, a genetic disorder affecting the blood’s clotting ability, became infected with hepatitis C and HIV after receiving contaminated blood products from the NHS. These products were imported from commercial organizations in the US, and among the donors were individuals from high-risk groups, including prison inmates and injecting drug users.
However, it wasn’t always this way. Blood services initially did not routinely screen for hepatitis B until 1972, HIV until 1985, and hepatitis C until 1991.
These screenings have become crucial in ensuring the safety of donated blood. In addition, the NHS only imports very small quantities of rare blood for specific patients when there are no available donors in the UK. This ensures that the blood supply remains primarily sourced within the country.
In 1975, the UK government made a commitment to achieve self-sufficiency in blood stock within the NHS by July 1977. To support this goal, the Department of Health allocated £0.5 million. However, it was noted in the British Medical Journal that this objective was not successfully met. Alongside the challenge of finding donors, the UK also struggled to scale up its capacity to process blood into the necessary products required by individuals with clotting disorders. As a result, the UK continued to rely on imported blood to meet the demand.
