From Ann Wills

Daily Mail 28.7.21   “BLOOD SCANDAL IS NOT MY FAULT, SAYS EX-MINISTER KEN”

Previous health minister, Kenneth Clarke outraged survivors of the infected blood scandal yesterday by telling the Public Inquiry he had “nothing to do” with the disaster.   He insisted he was “not responsible” - despite being the Health Minister when 10s of 1,000 of Britons were infected with deadly diseases from NHS blood & blood products.

He was Health Minister from 1982 to 1985 & Health Secretary from 1988 to 1990.   Haemophilia Society said “Lord Clarke’s long awaited evidence to the Infected Blood Inquiry was an opportunity to show remorse for the terrible NHS treatment catastrophe which devastated so many lives while he was Health Minister.  Instead he has treated the inquiry & its participants with distain by showing a shocking lack of knowledge & quibbling over the relevance of questions.  Those infected & affected deserve better.”   Despite admitting he was aware haemophiliacs were dying from HIV-related illnesses as early as 1983 - after “most likely” being infected by clotting products   he claimed blood was seen as a “harmless subject.”   He appeared irritated by “meticulous” questioning from the lead QC, branding it “pointless” & “irrelevant.”  Inquiry Chair Sir Brian Langstaff intervened to state the relevance was “for him to determine.”  The inquiry continues.

(A Wills comment:  Blood was bought by the NHS from high-risk groups such as drug addicts & sex workers in USA who were paid to give blood.  This was cheaper than UK blood.)