§ Mr. GodsiffTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the study tracing people who might have contracted hepatitis C from blood transfusions did not also trace those people with haemophilia who contracted hepatitis C through blood product treatments. [82885]
§ Mr. HuttonThe study to trace people who might have developed hepatitis C following blood transfusion focused on those who were unlikely to have remained under clinical care and who could benefit from treatment which had then become available. As haemophiliacs are in constant contact with their clinicians, the need to include them in the tracing exercise did not arise as they would have already been known to the service. It was implicit in the hepatitis C exercise that anyone who was concerned about their hepatitis C virus status could request a test.