Read a summary of this week’s inquiry evidence

Written by Jessica Bomford, January 28, 2022

This week at the Infected Blood Inquiry there were four days of evidence from three leading figures in the UK blood transfusion services.

Dr Bill Wagstaff was director of Sheffield, formerly Trent, Regional Blood Transfusion Service from 1974 to 1995. His career began before there was any effective treatment for haemophilia and he described the evolution of treatment and its impact.

Professor John Barbara was head of microbiology at North London Regional Blood Transfusion Service from 1974 to 1995. His role was scientific and not clinical and he was the first microbiologist to be employed by a blood transfusion service.

Dr Brian McClelland, pictured, director of Edinburgh and South East Scotland Blood Transfusion Service from 1979 to 2002, gave evidence over two days and described struggles with inadequate resources and accommodation at the time of the emerging AIDS crisis in the early 1980s.

Click here for a summary of this week’s evidence.

Transcripts of the evidence are available here. A weekly summary of all previous hearings can be found here.

Follow the inquiry through the Haemophilia Society’s dedicated Twitter account or join our Facebook page for daily updates on evidence when the inquiry is sitting.