Infected Blood Inquiry: carrying out recommendations 8a and 8b (WHC/2024/050)

Status:

Action.

Category:

Policy.

Title:

Infected blood inquiry: implementation of recommendation 8a and 8b.

Date of expiry / review:

Non-applicable.

Action by:

Local health boards and NHS trusts, primary care providers.

Required by:

Immediate.

Sender:

• Professor Pushpinder Mangat, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Health Services.
• Dr Stuart Hackwell, Senior Medical Officer, Primary Care and Mental Health and Early Years.

Welsh Government contacts:

Tom Warren,
Quality and Safety,
Quality and Nursing Directorate.
Tel: 03000 258109.
Email: QualityAndNursing@gov.wales.

Enclosures:

Annex 1, 'Letter from Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Senior Medical Officer'.

Dear colleague,

Re: infected blood inquiry.

Following the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry (IBI) report and its recommendations on 20 May 2024, I have been chairing an oversight group to monitor the implementation of these recommendations. Today I am writing in relation to the recommendation within the report that focuses on finding the undiagnosed patients.

There are two specific recommendations for health boards to take forward for patients who may have had a blood transfusion.

The full report can be accessed at the infected blood inquiry's website.

Recommendation:

8. Finding the undiagnosed:

8(a). When doctors become aware that a patient has had a blood transfusion prior to 1996, that patient should be offered a blood test for Hepatitis C.

8(b). As a matter of routine, new patients registering at a practice should be asked if they have had such a transfusion

I would be grateful if you would advise those in Primary Care of the requirement to action as requested when the circumstances meet the criteria mentioned.

I’d be grateful if you could confirm the action you have taken by cc’ing the relevant messaging to the qualityandnursing@gov.wales by 27 January 2025.

Yours sincerely

Prof Pushpiner Mangat
Dr Stuart Hackwell