Kaylee Golding, a DJ for BBC Radio 1Xtra, has shared that her grandad was among the thousands of victims of the infected blood scandal. On Monday, a public inquiry revealed that patients had long been affected after receiving contaminated blood. Graham, who had severe haemophilia, died from illnesses linked to these treatments when Kaylee was 17 years old. Despite the length of time it has taken, she says “to have some kind of apology, some kind of closure, is what people have been waiting such a long time for.”
The infected blood scandal is considered the biggest treatment disaster in the NHS’s history. In the 1970s and 80s, the UK was not able to meet demand for blood-clotting treatments, so imported blood from high-risk donors in the US, including prison inmates and drug-users. Over 30,000 people were infected with HIV, hepatitis C, and other diseases. The victims of these infections include patients who received blood transfusions after childbirth, surgery, and other treatments, as well as those with severe haemophilia.
Kaylee describes how the treatment for her grandad was blood transfusions but because the blood was contaminated, he became diagnosed with hepatitis B and C, serious liver infections that would eventually cause his death. In total, over 3,000 people died from the infected blood they were given. Growing up, there was a great deal of stigma surrounding people with hepatitis and HIV, which made it difficult to speak about openly.
Sir Brian Langstaff, the inquiry report’s author, stated that what led to people like Graham being infected “was not an accident.” He continued, “the infections happened because those in authority — doctors, the blood services, and successive governments — did not put patient safety first.” The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has apologized for the scandal and pledged that compensation would be paid to the victims.
Not only is Kaylee grateful that she got to grow up with her grandad, but also she is pleased that her family has closure. She says, “I miss him so much,” and “even though my grandad didn’t get it, I’m so happy and blessed that my mum and my aunties have that closure because it was their dad.
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