Chair of the Inquiry expresses disappointment over hepatitis report
Sir Brian Langstaff has written to the Chief Executive of Public Health England (PHE) to express his disappointment at the lack of attention paid in a recent PHE report into hepatitis infection through transfusion.
The annual ‘Hepatitis C in England’ report failed to highlight this route of infection and instead mainly focused on the risks associated with drug users.
In his letter, Sir Brian said:
“This approach risks perpetuating the failure to identify, test and diagnose people infected through transfusions. It also risks exacerbating the stigma felt by those infected through transfusion.
“I hope to reassure people infected through transfusions that the Inquiry takes seriously their calls for others to be identified, tested and treated.”
How Government and public bodies have responded to the use of infected blood and blood products is one of the Inquiry’s terms of reference.
The text of the letter is available here.