MP who lost grandmother in infected blood scandal calls for ‘culture change’

An MP who grew up without a grandmother as a result of infected blood has pressed the Government on a “culture change” to help scandal-affected people access justice.

Sam Rushworth, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland in County Durham, told the Commons it is “difficult to know” when organisations have experienced a culture change, as Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds warned leaving behind “institutional defensiveness” will be difficult.

Between 1970 and the early 1990s, more than 30,000 NHS patients received blood transfusions or treatments contaminated with deadly diseases, including HIV, and more than 3,000 people have died as a result.

I like many here have constituents affected by this and indeed I grew up without a grandmother due to infected blood

The Infected Blood Inquiry which Sir Brian Langstaff chaired found institutional defensiveness, “compounded by groupthink amongst civil servants and ministers, and a lack of transparency and candour” had damaged the public interest.

Mr Rushworth told MPs: “I like many here have constituents affected by this and indeed I grew up without a grandmother due to infected blood.

“But some of my constituents in Barnard Castle not only lost a child but had their other son experience severe mental health challenges that are lasting throughout his adult life as a consequence of the strain placed on them as a family because of their long struggle for justice.”

The newly elected MP asked the minister to “regularly update the House on these other measures that will bring about that culture change, because culture change is difficult and it’s difficult to know if and when it has been achieved”.

Labour pledged a legal duty of candour as part of a Hillsborough Law in its General Election manifesto, named after the 1987 crowd crush in Sheffield where 97 Liverpool FC fans died.

Mr Thomas-Symonds replied: “I’m sure the whole House would want to extend their sympathies to (Mr Rushworth) on the loss of his grandmother as a consequence of this scandal.

Whether it is Hillsborough, whether it is Horizon, the number of other scandals that have happened in the past as well and indeed this, you have a severe and awful injustice, but then what makes it even worse, what compounds it, is then having to fight for decades and decades, and that is simply unacceptable

“And he’s entirely right to highlight the impact that that has on others – the people we call the affected people as a consequence of this scandal.

“With regard to the culture of institutional defensiveness, the critical thing is that people do not put protecting individual reputations or protecting the reputation of institutions above what is in the public interest and above the duty of public service.

“I’m not suggesting for a moment that that is an easy thing to lead on, but it’s certainly something this Government is determined to lead on.”

He had earlier said: “Whether it is Hillsborough, whether it is Horizon , the number of other scandals that have happened in the past as well and indeed this, you have a severe and awful injustice, but then what makes it even worse, what compounds it, is then having to fight for decades and decades, and that is simply unacceptable.”

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain told the Commons she is “glad” Mr Thomas-Symonds had backed a duty of candour and asked when a law might come forward.

The minister replied: “It does stand alongside other matters that we are bringing forward including the public advocate and ensuring that families who find themselves in the tragic situation that many did with Hillsborough, are able to be appropriately represented at an inquest as well.

“So I think we need to see them as a collective package, but we will be bringing those forward as soon as we can.”