A draft follow up letter from the Department of Health's Customer Service Centre to campaigner Sue Threakall contained a longer explanation, which included the line that "viral inactivation processes, heat treatment and screening tests were developed and introduced as soon as practicable." Read more about A draft follow up letter from the Department of Health's Customer Service Centre to campaigner Sue Threakall contained a longer explanation, which included the line that "viral inactivation processes, heat treatment and screening tests were developed and introduced as soon as practicable."
The Department of Health's Customer Service Centre wrote to campaigner Sue Threakall adopting the line that the Government did not accept that any wrongful practices were employed, did not consider that a public inquiry is justified and that Hepatitis C screening could not have been implemented before 1991. Read more about The Department of Health's Customer Service Centre wrote to campaigner Sue Threakall adopting the line that the Government did not accept that any wrongful practices were employed, did not consider that a public inquiry is justified and that Hepatitis C screening could not have been implemented before 1991.
In a letter to the Haemophilia Society, Caroline Flint again explained the rejection of a public inquiry by reference to the introduction of donor screening for Hepatitis C in 1991 "which could not have been implemented before this time". Read more about In a letter to the Haemophilia Society, Caroline Flint again explained the rejection of a public inquiry by reference to the introduction of donor screening for Hepatitis C in 1991 "which could not have been implemented before this time".
In a letter to the Manor House Group, Caroline Flint again explained the rejection of a public inquiry by reference to the introduction of donor screening for Hepatitis C in 1991 "which could not have been implemented before this time". Read more about In a letter to the Manor House Group, Caroline Flint again explained the rejection of a public inquiry by reference to the introduction of donor screening for Hepatitis C in 1991 "which could not have been implemented before this time".
A Department of Health communications official approved the following line to take: "We have great sympathy for those infected with Hepatitis C and HIV and have considered the call for a public inquiry very carefully. However, the Government of the day acted in good faith, relying on the technology available at that time and therefore we do not feel a public inquiry would provide any real benefit to those affected." Read more about A Department of Health communications official approved the following line to take: "We have great sympathy for those infected with Hepatitis C and HIV and have considered the call for a public inquiry very carefully. However, the Government of the day acted in good faith, relying on the technology available at that time and therefore we do not feel a public inquiry would provide any real benefit to those affected."
In her letter to Michael Connarty MP, Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Health, repeated the line that donor screening for Hepatitis C could not have been implemented sooner in response to a request for a public inquiry. Read more about In her letter to Michael Connarty MP, Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Health, repeated the line that donor screening for Hepatitis C could not have been implemented sooner in response to a request for a public inquiry.
The Department of Health, in response to a "Wales on Sunday" story on renewed calls for a public inquiry, reiterated their position that donor screening for Hepatitis C could not have been implemented sooner. Read more about The Department of Health, in response to a "Wales on Sunday" story on renewed calls for a public inquiry, reiterated their position that donor screening for Hepatitis C could not have been implemented sooner.
In her oral evidence to the Inquiry, Caroline Flint observed that advice and briefings she received "were very much sort of a 100 percent suggesting that there was no testing that could have been done before 1991". Read more about In her oral evidence to the Inquiry, Caroline Flint observed that advice and briefings she received "were very much sort of a 100 percent suggesting that there was no testing that could have been done before 1991".
A document prepared as part of a briefing for a parliamentary question in the House of Lords repeated the line that donor screening for Hepatitis C could not have been implemented sooner and that a public inquiry was not justified. Read more about A document prepared as part of a briefing for a parliamentary question in the House of Lords repeated the line that donor screening for Hepatitis C could not have been implemented sooner and that a public inquiry was not justified.
The press release, related to the the report on self-sufficiency in blood products in England and Wales, stated that "The review based on the available evidence, concludes that clinicians acted in the best interest of their patients in the light of the evidence available at the time. Donor screening for hepatitis C was introduced in the UK in 1991 and the development of this test marked a major advance in technology, which could not have been implemented before this time." Read more about The press release, related to the the report on self-sufficiency in blood products in England and Wales, stated that "The review based on the available evidence, concludes that clinicians acted in the best interest of their patients in the light of the evidence available at the time. Donor screening for hepatitis C was introduced in the UK in 1991 and the development of this test marked a major advance in technology, which could not have been implemented before this time."