BBC: Scottish Blood Director Admits Scandal Preventable

This morning, the BBC is reporting on a private admission from the director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), Prof Marc Turner: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65973302

Turner's comments have underscored the preventable nature of the infected blood scandal. Amid calls from MPs for swift government action on compensation for victims and bereaved families, the admission throws into sharp focus the avoidable nature of what happened with Hepatitis C and HIV contaminated blood products.

In a private email obtained by Factor 8, Prof Turner acknowledged that lives could have been saved at a modest cost.

"It would have been better to spend a few thousands of £s to reduce transmissions than a few billions to compensate people after the fact (in my opinion)," Turner wrote in the email.

As a debate looms in the House of Commons today, MPs will demand that the government urgently set up a compensation scheme and provide interim payments to grieving families who have so far received nothing.

In the wake of the revelation, it's clear that the call for justice and accountability rings louder than ever.

Turner's admission is a poignant reminder of the crucial role preventive measures play and the catastrophic consequences of disregarding them.