NHS rolls out plans to find more infected blood victims

Health officials have launched a new scheme to help identify people who may have unknowingly been given infected blood.

People aged 29 and over who newly register with GP practices in England are to be asked if they had a blood transfusion prior to 1996, NHS England said.

If they did have a transfusion before 1996 they will be offered a test for hepatitis C, which is known as a silent killer because people can be infected unknowingly for decades before symptoms start and significant damage has already been done.

Hepatitis C is a virus that is passed on through blood-to-blood contact and infects the liver. Without treatment, it can cause serious damage to the liver.

Around half of the 800,000 people who register with a GP each year were born after 1996, meaning some 400,000 will be asked about their blood transfusion history.

NHS England said the new questions for patients will remind them of possible reasons they may have had a blood transfusion, including after an accident, complication during childbirth, surgery, or other medical treatment.

If a person is diagnosed they can be given antiviral medication for several weeks, with this treatment curing more than nine out of 10 patients with hepatitis C.

The Infected Blood Inquiry, which examined the scandal in depth, recommended that the health service should work to “find the undiagnosed”.

More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s.

And more than 3,000 people have died as a result while survivors are living with lifelong health implications.

“The failures of the contaminated blood scandal have had a horrifying impact for patients and their families for decades, and I would like to reiterate our deepest apologies for the role the health service played in the suffering and loss for so many,” said Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director.

“The NHS is dedicated to implementing the inquiry’s recommendations and this simple change to the GP registration process for patients is a vital step forward in ensuring that nobody affected by contaminated blood is living undiagnosed and unsupported.

“By routinely checking their risk when anyone signs up to a new GP and offering fast Hep C tests where necessary, we will ensure any undiagnosed cases can be found and treated as quickly as possible, while enabling thousands more to receive the reassurance of a negative test.”

The inquiry into the scandal is currently examining the “timeliness and adequacy of the Government’s response to compensation” for victims, with a report expected later this year.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority said, as of May 6, 677 people have been asked to start their claim and 106 payments have been made, totalling more than £96 million.

– Anyone in England over the age of 18 can order a free at-home test for hepatitis C from hepctest.nhs.uk

Published: 19/05/2025 by Radio NewsHub