AT least 13 Islanders were involved in the contaminated blood scandal, it has been confirmed.
The scandal saw more than 30,000 patients in the UK infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
More than 3,000 people have died as a result, and thousands more live with continuing health conditions.
Jersey’s former Health Minister Richard Renouf confirmed in 2019 that, as Jersey “mirrored” the UK’s haemophilia treatment procedures, some Islanders had received infected blood.
Now, in response to a freedom-of-information request, the Health Department has confirmed that it is aware of 13 patients who have been affected by contaminated pooled blood products.
Earlier this year, a public inquiry said that UK authorities covered up the scandal and exposed victims to unacceptable risks.
The UK government has now announced a compensation scheme which means victims could receive payments of more than £2 million.
The Jersey government has confirmed that it is working to ensure that this scheme will extend to impacted Islanders.
The recent request made under the Freedom of Information Law also asked whether any of the transfusions had led to the death of the patient.
The response confirmed that “transfusion-related infection is not documented as a cause of death in those that have passed away”.
