The taintedblood.info timeline - what really happened...
"To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay, right or justice."
Magna Carta - 15th June, 1215
 |
Dr David Owen decides that if enough money is invested, the UK can become self-sufficient and blood would then come only from British sources and would be much more likely to not be contaminated.
David Owen announces in the House of Commons that several million pounds has been allocated - but the initiative does not follow through as there is considerable resistance in the Department of Health against putting in the money. |
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1470755.stm Type: Decision Location: UK Find related entries |
|
Money that is apportioned off for the protection of haemophiliacs is “diverted to other purposes”. (Former Health Minister, Lord Owen speaking with reference to 1975, on the BBC's "Face the Facts" programme in August 2001). |
Source:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200102/ldhansrd/vo011015/text/11015-03.htm#11015-03_spnew5 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1470755.stm Type: House of Lords Hansard Location: UK Find related entries |
|
On 22 January 1975, Dr David Owen as a Minister in the Department of Health and Social Security, announces to the House a programme to make the UK self-sufficient in blood products, particularly Factor VIII. |
Source:
Hansards, House of Commons, 23 November 1989, end of Column 271 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1989-11-23/Debate-5.html#Debate-5_spnew2 Type: House of Commons Hansard Location: UK Find related entries |
|
In a government Written Answer from 6 March, 1975, it clearly shows David Owen’s intention for the pledged £500,000 to increase production, not to increase donations; which is where it eventually ended up:
Dr David Owen: "As I told my hon Friend the Member for Sowerby on 17 February, I have authorised the allocation of special finance of up to £0.5m (about half of which would be recurring) to increase the existing production of AHG concentrate within the National Health Service with the aim of the NHS becoming self-sufficient as soon as possible" (final paragraph) Note: This demonstrates government maladministration as the £500,000 was in fact used by the RTC, leaving BPL Elstree short-changed. The DHSS should have insisted on the extra money being allocated to its intended purpose - which was to fight this threat to public safety. |
Source:
http://www.taintedblood.info/tlfiles/Hansard Written Answer 6 March 1975.pdf Type: Recovered Document - Hansard - Written Answer. 6 March 1975. Location: UK Find related entries |
|
David Owen repeats that pledge of making the UK self-sufficient; when he said it, he had hoped that it would be done in 2 to 3 years. |
Source:
Hansards, House of Commons, 23 November 1989, Column 272 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1989-11-23/Debate-5.html#Debate-5_spnew2 Type: House of Commons Hansard Location: UK Find related entries |
|
In a speech to the World Federation Haemophilia Congress, David Owen repeats the self-sufficiency pledge again, where he states that we hoped to be self-sufficient in blood products by mid-1977, he was not speaking in the House, so that statement did not bind successive Governments. Note: The Government is, however, responsible for the two earlier pledges that were given in the House. The targets are not achieved and the UK is still not self-sufficient in blood products. |
Source:
Hansards, House of Commons, 23 November 1989, Column 272 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1989-11-23/Debate-5.html#Debate-5_spnew3 Type: House of Commons Hansard Location: UK Find related entries |
|
In a DHSS memo entitled "UK Aims to be Self-Sufficient in Supply of Blood Products", the following is stated by Dr. David Owen: "Following a special allocation of £500,000 last year substantial progress was now being made in building up production capacity in the NHS, and self-sufficiency in home-produced Factor VIII was expected to be reached in mid-1977." (paragraph 3) Note: The half million, (intended for building up capacity within the NHS) was, in fact, NOT used for building-up production capacity for self-sufficiency and instead ended up being paid out to increase the amount of people donating blood in the UK. |
Source:
http://www.taintedblood.info/tlfiles/_David Owen 1976 Statement ref. Half Million.pdf Type: Recovered Document - DHSS Memo Location: UK Find related entries |
|
David Owen: "When I said that we hoped to be self-sufficient in blood products by mid-1977, I was not speaking in the House, so that that statement did not bind successive Governments. But we are all responsible for the two earlier pledges that were given in the House."
"The targets were not achieved and we are still not self-sufficient in blood products. I was told by a Minister of the present Government that they made the decision to be self-sufficient in 1982. Was Baroness Trumpington unaware that the House had already been told in 1975 that Britain would be self-sufficient? What happened? ...." |
Source:
Commons Hansard - 23 November 1989, Column 272 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1989-11-23/Debate-5.html Type: Commons Hansard Location: UK Find related entries |
|
In a letter to the Rt. Hon John Moore MP, then Secretary of State for Health, David Owen states the following:
“I am glad to see that you have made an ex-gratia payment for haemophiliacs who, as a result of transfusion, find themselves HIV positive.” “What concerns me however is how this situation has been allowed to occur. I note that in Hansard 393 on 22 January 1975, I said "I believe it is vitally important that the National Health Service should become self-sufficient as soon as practicable in the production of Factor VIII, including AHG concentrates".” “On 22 April in a written answer I was even more explicit "l hope that the National Health Service can become self-sufficient in the production of all forms of Factor VIII within two or three years". The same answer was very much reiterated on 8 July (column 108).” “I would be grateful if you could let me know what happened to the extra money that was allocated to the regional transfusion centres, and why they did not become self-sufficient. I think I should in fairness warn you that I have it in mind to refer the issue to the Ombudsman on grounds of maladministration unless I receive a satisfactory explanation.” |
Source:
http://www.taintedblood.info/tlfiles/David Owen Letter to John Moore 17 November 1987.pdf Type: Letter dated 17th November 1987. David Owen writing to the Rt. Hon John Moore MP, then Secretary of State for Health Location: UK Find related entries |
|
Lord Owen first complained on behalf of a constituent to the Ombudsman's predecessor, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, in 1988. He was then MP for Plymouth Devonport. He said health officials should have admitted to subsequent Ministers that the target of self-sufficiency could not be met without more money. But the Commissioner would not investigate, saying that parliamentary answers Dr Owen had given in 1975 did not suggest the risk of contamination had been a major factor. |
Source:
James Meikle, Health Correspondent, Guardian, Monday August 19, 2002 Type: National Press Article Location: UK Find related entries |
|
Lord Owen said that in 1988 he had been unable to give evidence of his personal view that the source of donors was unreliable because his private office papers had "for some inexplicable reason been pulped." But the decision for self-sufficiency was never made only to save money. |
Source:
James Meikle, Health Correspondent, Guardian, Monday August 19, 2002 Additional Source: http://www.taintedblood.info/tlfiles/Lord Owen Papers Disposed Of.pdf Type: Statement - Press Article Location: UK Find related entries |
All rights reserved