Read a summary of this week’s inquiry evidence

Written by Jessica Bomford, February 5, 2022

This week at the Infected Blood Inquiry there were three days of evidence from clinicians employed by blood transfusion services in Scotland and England in the 1980s and 1990s.

Dr Morris McClelland, pictured, was responsible for Belfast Blood Transfusion Service from 1980 to 2009. He described the impact of The Troubles and the 1980s recession on the service, as well as his attempts to improve facilities and become self-sufficient in blood products using Scotland’s PFC fractionation plant.

Dr Gamal Gabra was consultant haematologist at Glasgow and West of Scotland Blood Transfusion Service from 1980 to 1988 and consultant haematologist at Birmingham Blood Transfusion Service from 1992 to 2002. He described poor facilities at Glasgow when he joined, which impeded the production of some blood products.

Dr Frank Boulton was director of Liverpool Haemophilia Centre between 1975 and 1980 before moving to Edinburgh and South East Scotland Blood Transfusion Service in 1980 where he became deputy director in 1982. In 1990 he became medical director of Wessex Blood Transfusion Service until his retirement in 2006. He talked about haemophilia care as well as his work within the blood transfusion service.

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.