Subscribe to Search results

John Parker was convinced sending the AIDS leaflet out with the call-up cards was "the only sensible thing to do" and that ministers needed to weigh the possible disadvantage of letting "risky" blood "slip through the net" against the advantage of minimising adverse publicity.

Published on:

It was deemed important for Kenneth Clarke to make a ministerial statement regarding the AIDS leaflet so that the Government could be viewed as taking a positive step in an area where there was limited scope for action.

Published on:

A press release announcing the publication of the AIDS donor leaflet was approved by Kenneth Clarke.

Published on:

A submission was sent to ministers that explained both the AIDS donor leaflet and method of distribution were "under review".

Published on:

Dr Smithies sent Alun Williams a revised draft of the AIDS leaflet and the outline of a draft submission to ministers.

Published on:

Dr Smithies wrote to Alun Williams saying that the redrafted leaflet had been cleared with MED, IMCD, CHD and ID Divisions and was ready for printing "provided Ministers agree".

Published on:

Dr Smithies responded to a request by the CMO for information about "the problem of AIDS and blood donation".

Published on:

Janet Hewlett-Davies wrote to John Cashman attaching a revised version of the AIDS leaflet, noting it needed to be "much more strongly worded".

Published on:

The DHSS's International Relations Division asked for comments on the draft recommendations of the Committee of Experts on Blood Transfusion and Immunology.

Published on:

A submission was sent to ministers seeking their agreement to the printing, distribution arrangements and publicity for the proposed AIDS leaflet.

Published on:

John Patten MP said arrangements for the AIDS leaflet should go ahead as soon as possible and asked whether there was any reason why RTDs could not follow both methods of distribution for the trial period.

Published on:

In a memo from Stephen Alcock to John Parker in relation to the AIDS leaflet it was recorded that the Minister of Health was prepared to give some "discretion on how to distribute [the leaflet] for six months as the arguments are finely balanced."

Published on:

In a memo from Christopher Joyce to John Parker in relation to the AIDS leaflet it was stated that Lord Glenarthur approved the text of the leaflet and favoured using both methods of distribution.

Published on:

Alun Williams sought Kenneth Clarke's "urgent" clearance of the revised AIDS leaflet and it was noted that NBTS "cannot be asked to effect a more positive distribution of these leaflets until Minister have approved the text".

Published on:

In a memo from Dr Walford to A T Cumming on the Council of Europe draft recommendation to avoid large pool concentrates it was noted this was "theoretically desirable" and there was "no option but to treat the majority of our haemophiliacs with large-pool products", and the risks of non-treatment were greater than the risks of treatment".

Published on:

Dr Craske sent Dr Walford a copy of his March 1983 paper on AIDS.

Published on:

Dr Walford provided a brief that explained the transmission of AIDS seemed "to follow the pattern seen with the hepatitis B virus, that is, it may be transmitted by various types of sexual contact and by contact with blood and, possible, other body fluids eg saliva".

Published on:

An internal DHSS meeting took place to consider AIDS. The agenda identified eight issues for consideration.

Published on:

Dr Moore and Dr Smithies prepared a chronology showing knowledge of the link between AIDS and Factor 8. It was recorded that throughout 1983 the Government's public line was that there was "no conclusive evidence AIDS was transmitted by blood products" and that DHSS had taken a "precautionary stance" and assumed that AIDS was transmitted by an infective agent. However, it wasn't until December 1984 that the Department publicly acknowledged the link between AIDS and Factor 8.

Published on:

The purpose of a new advisory group on the virological safety of blood was so that DHSS could "enable quick reactions to be made to new developments in screening techniques and new epidemiological information."

Published on: