Scottish Government must become a core participant at the Infected Blood Inquiry

At its Preliminary Hearings the Scottish Government was criticised by the Infected Blood Inquiry for not joining England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as core participants.

The day after the Preliminary Hearings, Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum (SIBF) met with Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing to talk about the Scottish Government’s response to the Clinical Review Report. We took the opportunity to raise the issue of core participant status and pass on the strong views of our members.

The Minister committed the Scottish Government to becoming a core participant and we asked for that to be confirmed in writing.  He agreed and had a letter to us by the end of the day.

Letter from Joe Fitzpatrick MSP on Core Participant Status

…the Scottish Government does intend to apply for core participant status in the Infected Blood Inquiry

In our response we said that,

…many of our members will be relieved you are committed to engaging fully with the Inquiry, we cannot consider this matter resolved until the Scottish Government is confirmed as an organisational core participant.

Reply from Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum

We also asked for more details about what was currently preventing the Scottish Government becoming a core participant and will publish any reply we receive.

We have a fundamental objection to infected and affected people in Scotland being used as a political ping-pong ball.  Therefore, we have alro written to the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon Theresa May, asking that the UK Government,

…do everything in its power to resolve any outstanding differences and to facilitating the positive involvement of the Scottish Government in the Infected Blood Inquiry as a Core Participant as soon as possible.

Letter to the Prime Minister from Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum

We also suggested that the Prime Minister should meet with infected and infected people and their representative to discuss what immediate action could be taken.