THOUSANDS of Brits could have been infected in the NHS blood scandal and still not know, experts warn.
More than 30,000 people contracted deadly viruses while they were receiving care in the 1970s and 80s - but fears are growing that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Non-profit organisations say they are now helping two people every month who have only just learned they were infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C decades ago.
And they estimate that around 2,000 are unknowingly living with hepatitis C, which can be incredibly serious if not treated.
Separate figures, calculated by a BBC Investigation, suggest the number sits around 1,750.
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Rachel Halford, CEO of the Hepatitis C Trust, described the situation as "gravely concerning".
She added: "Of those who had blood transfusions before September 1991, a very small percentage of these will be walking around with hepatitis C and not know it.
"If left untreated, hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb."
She and other health officials are now urging anyone who had a transfusion before 1991 to get tested.
The infected blood scandal has been described as one of the worst in NHS history.
It relates to blood transfusions and blood-derived medicines used in the 1970s and 80s.
These products were injected into patients, often children, who had haemophilia, which stops clotting and can cause severe bleeding.
But they had no idea these plasma products, such as Factor VIII, were often sourced from prisoners, sex workers and drug addicts struck down by HIV and hepatitis.
At least 30,000 were given unsafe blood, and 3,000 people have died as a result.
The true toll, however, could be much higher.
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Victims and their families have fought tirelessly for decades for justice, and yesterday, after a long-awaited inquiry into what happened, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Chairman Sir Brian Langstaff ruled that politicians, doctors and the NHS conducted a "chilling cover-up", which saw patients lied to and injected without permission, and documents deliberately destroyed by government departments.
He concluded that the whole ordeal "could have should have been avoided".
Rishi Sunak also delivered a historic apology for the unprecedented disaster that "shook our nation to its core".
Pledging a comprehensive compensation package, the PM vowed: "Whatever it costs to deliver this scheme, we will pay."
This is the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS
Clive Smith
Those affected by the scandal, including many who have turned to drink, drugs and suicide attempts, said they finally felt "validated and vindicated".
Andy Evans, chairman of the Tainted Blood campaign group, told a press conference that it was a “momentous day”.
"Sometimes we felt like we were shouting into the wind during the last 40 years, but today proves that it can happen in the UK," he said.
Gill Fyffe, who was infected with hepatitis C in 1988 after receiving a blood transfusion during the birth of her daughter but waited seven years to find out, added: "It was a day I thought I'd never see.
"It's been a curious mixture - there's a feeling of elation which I can only say is comparable to a feeling of freedom.
"But there is also a feeling of desperate regret. If only we had had this judgement 30 years ago."
Fighting back tears, the 65-year-old, who had to sell her home as a result of the financial toll, said she hoped a government settlement would "give victims their lives back".
Kate Burt, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: "The scale of human suffering unleashed by this scandal, and deepened by decades of government denial and inaction, is a national disgrace."
Chairman Clive Smith added: "This is the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS."
It is thought that one person dies as a result of infected blood every four days.
The Hepatitis C Trust said it receives two calls a month from people who have been diagnosed following a blood transfusion 30 years ago.
Samantha May, who runs the helpline, said: "The majority of calls that we deal with are people that received transfusions – so that will be people that have had road traffic accidents, pregnancy, operations, perhaps other medical conditions where they’ve needed blood.
"Rather shockingly, we hear from around two people on average per month now in 2024, and have done consistently over the last five, six years or so, who are just getting diagnosed now.
"They had no idea that they were infected, pre-1991, going back to the 70s, from blood transfusions that they received for various causes.
"It’s huge for them to find out that they have got an illness like hepatitis C; it’s a very frightening illness, it’s potentially life threatening, it can cause serious liver damage and for some people that might lead to liver cancer. It can greatly affect your quality of life.
"So for people to be find out decades later, there’s a lot to get your head around a diagnosis like that."
Hepatitis C can cause irreparable scarring of the liver, liver failure and liver cancer.
Symptoms can be subtle, and often non-existent, but some people report stomach aches, feeling tired all the time and a loss of appetite.
Thankfully, it is easily treated with a eight to 12-week course of tablets.
If you think you could be at risk, you should get tested as soon as possible, the NHS urges.
Tests can be requested from your GP, sexual health clinic, antenatal clinic if pregnant, and some pharmacies.
Samantha said: "The message is: If you had a blood transfusion before 1991 you should be tested regardless of how you feel.
"Hepatitis is often referred to as a silent killer because it’s very common for people with it to have this illness for decades with few or very vague and intermittent symptoms.
"It’s better to know – if you know you’ve got it there’s fantastic treatment available, you can get rid of it very easily nowadays with literally one tablet a day over a period of eight to 12 weeks.
"If you don’t know you’ve got it, the longer you have it, the more likely you are to progress towards liver damage.
“It’s so simple – if you had a blood transfusion before the early 90s, regardless of how you feel, please just go and have a simple blood test. Go to your GP or order one online, whatever works best for you and find out.
"Most people that received blood didn’t receive infected blood, thankfully, but there was bad blood in the system. The only way to find out is to have that test.
"We’re talking about saving lives really. People need to be identified as soon as possible – they’re decades late with their diagnosis, they need to be located now, tested and treated.
"One person dies every four days as a result of receiving that bad blood all those years ago. It’s dreadful."
NHS England’s national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: "We urge anyone who might have been at risk of contracting hepatitis C to get checked out for peace of mind.
"There are a range of ways to get tested, including via local screening programmes or by doing a simple online test to receive a self-testing kit which can be quickly dispatched to people’s homes.
"The straightforward test involves a finger prick so a tiny blood sample can be dropped into a test tube and posted to a lab for analysis, and if there is a positive test result, the patient will be contacted and referred for rapid curative treatment with the latest antiviral medicines available on the NHS."
