Infected Blood Inquiry to begin hearing evidence in Edinburgh

An inquiry into the infected blood scandal is to begin taking its first evidence in Scotland.

Around 3,000 Scots are thought to have been victims of the debacle, which is described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.

It saw patients across the UK contract HIV and hepatitis C because contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

Around 2,400 people are thought to have died across Britain.

Ahead of the first Scottish evidence being heard at the EICC on Tuesday, Dan Farthing of Haemophilia Scotland spoke to Forth News.

He said: "Looking to the future we hope we can learn lessons from this disaster which will improve safety for people receiving blood, but also how these risky things that happen in medicine are dealt with.

"How can we learn lessons so that all the people that have died have helped? How can we make those deaths meaningful?

"This is an enormous treatment disaster. But because people have been dying over years, it only hits the headlines for a few weeks.

"But its been a battle that those affected and their bereaved families have been fighting for decades.

"You've got to remember that in the 70s and 80s blood-borne infections - especially HIV - were hugely stigmatised.

"In fact, they're still stigmatised today."

The Infected Blood Inquiry has been hearing evidence in other parts of the UK since September.

At least 30 witnesses are due to give evidence in Edinburgh, this week and next week.

Previous witness hearings have taken place in London, Belfast and Leeds - and a sitting will be held in Cardiff later this month.