GPs Help NHS Identify Undiagnosed Infected Blood Victims

GPs in England will play a key role in identifying undiagnosed victims of the contaminated blood scandal that infected over 30,000 people with HIV and hepatitis C between the 1970s and 1990s. Starting June 2024, around 400,000 new patients registering with GP practices who received blood transfusions before 1996 will be asked about their transfusion history and offered hepatitis C testing, following recommendations from the Infected Blood Inquiry led by Sir Brian Langstaff. The inquiry highlighted that hundreds of people infected during childbirth and other circumstances may still be unaware of their infection, with hepatitis C potentially causing long-term liver damage if left untreated. Although modern antiviral treatments can eliminate hepatitis C in most patients, many victims were not informed about their exposure, as exemplified by Maureen Arkley, who died in 2024 after a decades-long undiagnosed infection. NHS England and medical leaders have acknowledged the scandal as one of the NHS's biggest treatment disasters, with over 3,000 deaths, and emphasized the urgency of identifying and treating undiagnosed cases to prevent further harm. The government has also admitted some patients may die before receiving compensation, underscoring the continuing impact of this public health failure.