Contaminated blood inquiry: 'It's been cathartic and distressing'

A man infected with hepatitis B and HIV as a child says the inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal has been both "cathartic and very distressing".

Richard Warwick has haemophilia and was given blood products to treat his clotting disorder at a school for disabled children.

It is thought thousands of people were infected between 1970 and 1991.

The inquiry concludes on Friday and Mr Warwick said he wanted a "proper, full, wholesome apology" from government.

The long-running public inquiry into what has been called the "worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS" began in 2018.

Mr Warwick, 57, who lives near Malton, received blood products when he attended Treloar's boarding school in Hampshire between 1976 and 1982.

He was infected with hepatitis B at the age of 10 and contracted HIV in 1978, but was not told until 1984.

"It's impacted every area of my life, from trying to get a job, the stigma around it, not being able to have children in my case," he said.

The experience had also left many victims unable to trust doctors, he said.

The inquiry will hear its final evidence on Friday and publish its formal conclusions and recommendations in the summer.

"After the inquiry has finished and concluded we hope to be able to see the extent of what was done to us," Mr Warwick said.

"It's been very cathartic and at the same time very distressing, [the inquiry] brought up a lot of old memories that we would rather put to bed. It's been a long 40 years of campaigning."

Eileen Burkert's father Ted was infected with HIV and hepatitis C after a clotting agent called Factor 8 was used to treat his haemophilia.

The single father of five died in 1992 at the age of 54.

Ms Burkert, from Halifax, said her family had only found out that he had been infected with contaminated blood after his death.

"He had his life snatched away from him," she said. "The inquiry was really welcome. I am his voice.

"We want acknowledgement for the dead, acknowledgement for what has been done to the living, justice, and for the truth to come out."

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