Key documents
Scottish Joint Position Statement (2017)
Scottish Joint Terms of Reference Submission (2018)
Opening Statement at the Infected Blood Inquiry (2018)
Haemophilia Scotland is a charity core participant of the Infected Blood Inquiry. Along with our friends at the Scottish Infected Blood Forum and 250 individual core participants we are being represented at the Inquiry by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland. If you are registered with Thompsons Solicitors Scotland for the Infected Blood Inquiry you can call them on 0141 221 8840 with any related legal questions. This page will be updated with significant events as the Infected Blood Inquiry unfolds.
11 October – Joint Letter to the Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Theresa May MP from Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum
Both charities were anxious not to become a political ping pong ball between the Scottish Government and the Cabinet Office so wrote to the Prime Minister to urge the UK Government to do all it can to remove any barriers to the Scottish Government becoming a core participant in the Infected Blood Inquiry. We also noted that the Prime Minister had not attended the Preliminary Hearings and therefore suggested she meet patients and patient representatives to discuss what immediate steps might be taken to assist those affected by the disaster.
Letter to the Prime Minister from Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum
8 October 2018 – Joint reply to Joe FitzPatrick MSP from Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum
The reply stressed that many of our members will be relieved that the Scottish Government had committed itself to engaging fully with the Inquiry. However, we made it clear that we couldn’t not the matter resolved until the Scottish Government is confirmed as an organisational core participant.
Joint letter to Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Scottish Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing
27 September 2018 – Meeting with Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Scottish Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing.
Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum met with the Minister about the Scottish Government response to the Clinical Review Report. The opportunity was taken to raise the serious concerns of infected and affected people that the Scottish Government was not a core participant in the Infected Blood Inquiry. The Minister responded by putting his assurance in writing that the Scottish Government would become a core participant.
Letter from Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Scottish Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing
26 September 2018 – Preliminary Hearings in Church House, London – Opening statements from affected and infected core participants and representatives and from other organisational core participants including Simon Bowie QC (instructed by Central Legal Office, NHS National Services Scotland) for the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
Opening statements were made by Steven Snowden QC (instructed by Collins Solicitors), Caz Challis (unrepresented core participant), Peter Burney (unrepresented core participant), Andrew Bragg (unrepresented core participant) [to be read out by Junior Counsel to the Inquiry], Stuart Maclean (unrepresented core participant) [read by his daughter Jade], The UK Thalassaemia Society, Raymond Bradley (Malcolmson Law) on behalf of The Haemophilia Society, Samantha May for The Hepatitis C Trust, Eleanor Grey QC (instructed by Government Legal Department), Alphy Maginness (Director of Legal Services) on behalf of the Department of Health (Northern Ireland), Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service and Regional Health and Social Care Board Northern Ireland, Health and Social Services, Welsh Government [to be read out by Junior Counsel to the Inquiry], Charlie Cory-Wright QC (instructed by Weightmans) on behalf of NHS Blood and Transplant, Simon Bowie QC (instructed by Central Legal Office, NHS National Services Scotland) for the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, and Debra Powell QC (instructed by Legal & Risk Services) for the Welsh Blood Service. There was then a reply and concluding remarks from the Inquiry.
1st Morning Session – Infected/Affected Opening Statements including Collins Law.
2nd Morning Session – Infected/Affected Opening Statements including Peter Burney
25 September 2018 – Preliminary Hearings in Church House, London – Opening statements from affected and infected core participants and representatives including Aiden O’Neill QC for the Scottish group of core participants
Day 2 Summary
Aiden O’Neill QC spoke on behalf of those represented by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, including Haemophilia Scotland. His opening statement, particularly in its written version, had been produced in partnership with affected and infected people in Scotland. The statement set out some of the principles and expectations of the Scottish Group of core participants as well as setting out some potential recommendations for the Inquiry to consider. He concluded saying, “It is to the lost and stolen lives that we commit ourselves.”
Opening statements were also made by Della Hirsch (unrepresented core participant), David Lock QC (instructed by Leigh Day), Michelle Tolley (unrepresented core participant), Paul Desmond (unrepresented core participant), Lloyd Williams QC (instructed by Watkins & Gunn), Sam Stein QC (instructed by Milners), and Karon Monaghan QC (instructed by Hudgell Solicitors).
1st Morning Live Stream A – Infected/Affected Opening Statements including Thompsons Solicitors Scotland
1st Morning Live Stream B – Infected/Affected Opening Statements including Della Hearsh
2nd Morning Session – Infected/Affected Opening Statements including Leigh Day, Michelle Tolley, and Paul Desmond
1st Afternoon Session – Infected/Affected Opening Statement including Watkins and Gunn
2nd Afternoon Session – Infected/Affected Opening Statement including Milners and Hudgell Solicitors
2nd Afternoon Session – continued
24 September – Preliminary Hearings in Church House, London – Commemoration, and Opening Statements from Sir Brian Langstaff, Inquiry Chair, and Jenni Richards QC, Counsel to the Inquiry
Commemoration, Day 1 Summary and Full Transcript
The Inquiry opened with a very moving commemoration using video, pictures, and music to acknowledges the losses and suffering caused by the disaster. This was followed by an opening statement from the Chair setting out the principles which will govern the Inquiry. In her opening statement the Counsel to the Inquiry set out the procedures which have already been put in place and how the Inquiry intended to develop them. She also regretted the decision of the Scottish Government not to seek core participant status and said the Inquiry did not share the view of the Scottish Government that by being a core participant they would be duplicating their work in relation to the Penrose Inquiry.
Morning Live Stream on YouTube – Commemoration
Afternoon Live Stream on YouTube – Inquiry Opening Statements
18 September – More organisations and legal firms announced
The category of charity core participants has been expanded to “Charities and incorporated non-profit organisations appointed as core participants” and Factor 8 – Independent Haemophilia Group and UK Thalassaemia Society have been added. Hudgell Solicitors have also been recognised by the Inquiry as representing four individual core participants. There is now a total of 1,274 individual core participants, 7 charities and incorporated non-profit organisational core participants, and 8 organisational core participants. There are 7 law firms representing affected people or their representative organisations.
3 August 2018 – Haemophilia Scotland is an organisational Core Participant
Haemophilia Scotland was announced, along with our fellow Scottish campaigners the Scottish Infected Blood Forum (SIBF) as charitbale Core Participants of the Infected Blood Inquiry. Both charities have appointed Thompsons Solicitors Scotland as legal representatives. The Haemophilia Society and Haemophilia Wales have also announced they are charity Core Participants. Haemophilia Northern Ireland was announced as a charity Core Participant a short time later.
2 July 2018 – Terms of Reference announced
David Lidington, Minister for the Cabinet Office, made a statement in the House of Commons Infected Blood Inquiry. The Terms of Reference were made available on the Inquiry website.
3 May 2018 – Clarification issued by the Infected Blood Inquiry
The Inquiry clarified that it intended the Inquiry to cover infection through blood products and through blood transfusion.
27 April 2018 – Scottish submission to Terms of Reference consultation
Haemophilia Scotland, the Scottish Infected Blood Forum, and independent Scottish campaigners made a joint submission to the Infected Blood Inquiry consultation on Terms of Reference. Read the submission.
3 March 2018 – Inquiry website launched and Terms of Reference consultation opened
The Inquiry website was launched at www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk and affected people were asked to feed in their views about what issues should be included in the Terms of Reference.
8 February 2018 – Sir Brian Langstaff announced as Chair
Sir Brian Langstaff was announced as the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry.
20 January 2018 – Joint Campaign Meeting
There was a joint meeting of Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum in Glasgow.
7 December 2017 – Campaigners meet with Cabinet Office minister, Rt. Hon Damian Green MP
Two meetings were held between The Rt Hon Damian Green MP, First Secretary of State, Cabinet Office and campaigners on the contaminated blood and blood products issue to discuss the upcoming Inquiry. Haemophilia Scotland was represented by our Chair, Bill Wright.
6 November 2017 – Joint Scottish Position Statement Published
Haemophilia Scotland worked with independent campaigners and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum to produce a joint document detailing the issues which needed to be addressed by the newly announced Inquiry.
21 December 2017 – Cabinet Office statement
The Cabinet Office issued a statement saying that it would be a judge led statutory Inquiry and committing to consult with the devolved administrations. Haemophilia Scotland responded by stressing the importance of appointing a strong panel.
9 August 2017 – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Care and Mental Health, Jackie Doyle-Price MP, responds on behalf of the Prime Minister
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Care and Mental Health, Jackie Doyle-Price MP responded to the letter from the Chair of Haemophilia Scotland to the Prime Minister. Read the response.
5 August 2017 – Cabinet Secretary of Health and Sport, Shona Robison MSP, responds to join letter on behalf of the First Minister
Cabinet Secretary of Health and Sport, Shona Robison MSP replied to join letter to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP about the upcoming Inquiry. Read the response.
25 July 2017 – Joint letter to First Minster, Nicola Sturgeon MSP
Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum wrote to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, about the UK Inquiry into contaminated blood and blood products. Read the joint letter.
12 July 2017 – Chair writes to the Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Theresa May MP about her announcement of a Public Inquiry
Haemophilia Scotland responded immediately to the announcement of a UK Public Inquiry by writing to the Prime Minister. Read the letter.
11 July 2017 – Inquiry Announced
The Infected Blood Inquiry was announced on the morning 11 July 2017 by Number 10 Downing Street. It preempted a debate in the House of Commons on the issue of a Public Inquiry scheduled for that afternoon. The prospect of the Government being defeated in a vote on the issue had been raised by a joint letter from all opposition parties, including the DUP on whom the Conservative Party was relying for a working majority in parliament.
Public Inquiry Update March 2019 (pdf 406KB)