Dan Stocks 🖤❤💛

Lord Kenneth Clarke, who served as the minister of state at the Department of Health between 1982 and 1985 and as the health secretary between 1989 and 1990, has been heavily criticized by the Infected Blood Inquiry for his role in the infected blood scandal. The inquiry found that the government, under his leadership, knowingly exposed thousands of people to "unacceptable" risks of HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products and transfusions between 1970 and 1991. Lord Clarke was described as "blasé" in his response to the inquiry about the collection of blood from prisons in the US as late as 1983. He was also criticized for his handling of the situation and for not taking sufficient action to prevent the spread of infections. The inquiry concluded that the government failed to make patient safety paramount in decision-making and did not do enough to stop importing blood products from abroad, continuing to source blood donations from high-risk populations in the UK too, such as prisoners until 1986. The inquiry's final report pointed the finger at politicians, doctors, and civil servants for a chilling cover-up of the scandal that led to the deaths and suffering that continue to this day. Lord Clarke's role in the scandal has been highlighted as part of this cover-up, with the report stating that the government and the NHS were directly accused of a "defensive closing of ranks." In response to the inquiry's findings, the UK government has recently announced a £10 billion compensation package for the thousands of victims affected by the infected blood scandal. This is a significant sum, but it can never truly make up for the pain and loss experienced by the victims and their loved ones. #GodMorningTuesday #hiv #blood #scandal