Steven Snowden KC has this week represented more than 800 infected and affected individuals during the three-day preliminary hearing at the outset of the Public Inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal.
This arises from the treatment disaster of the 1970s and 1980s when thousands of NHS patients were infected with blood-borne viruses including HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis through treatment with Factor concentrates for haemophilia or in the course of blood transfusions.
The Inquiry – chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff – will consider not only what happened at the time and why, but other issues including the alteration and loss of medical records; whether there was a medical or political cover-up; what ought to have been known by (and done by) pharmaceutical companies, clinicians, government bodies and politicians; the nature and level of subsequent and current provision for those infected and affected; and how disasters of this kind can be avoided in the future. The Inquiry will start hearing oral evidence in April 2019 and is expected to take more than two years to complete its task.
The Preliminary Hearing received extensive television, radio and press coverage, including:
And the BBC: Contaminated blood scandal: What have we learned so far? and Contaminated blood scandal: We are sorry, says government
The Inquiry’s webpage can be found here.
The proceedings over the three days were recorded and live-streamed, and can be found here.
Steven’s opening submissions on behalf of his clients are in the segment which can be found here.
Steven was instructed by Collins Law.
