How to watch new ITV documentary on British contaminated blood scandal
A new ITV documentary relating to the British contaminated blood scandal will be airing tonight (Tuesday, May 20).
The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School focuses on the stories of haemophiliac children at the Lord Mayor Treloar School in Hampshire.
They were sent to the specialist boarding school with the promise of a 'normal childhood', but instead became victims of secret medical research which left many of them with Hepatitis and HIV.
A summary on the Radio Times website adds: "Revealing the true stories of the students of The Lord Mayor Treloar School and Hospital, a place where young haemophiliacs were given Factor VIII, a drug they thought was a cure but was actually a death sentence.
"Through deeply personal testimony, this documentary pieces together a story of secret clinical trials, medical negligence and the fight for truth at the heart of the worst medical disaster in NHS history."
Of the 122 haemophiliacs who attended Treloar's in the 1970s and 1980s, only around 30 are still alive today.
Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual ITV, said: 'As they continue their fight for justice, the raw truth of how thousands were affected by the 1970s and 1980s infected blood scandal is told by some of the last remaining victims themselves in this emotional documentary.
"It's shocking how these men have suffered all these years from something that was covered up and could have been prevented.'
Our next film 'The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School' is coming to ITV and ITVX at 9pm on the 20th of May! Read about it on our website here - https://t.co/82QPElneS5 pic.twitter.com/rTseug9DTK
— Candour Productions (@CandourTV) May 16, 2025
Anna Hall, Executive Producer at Candour Productions, said: 'The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School shows the devastating effect first-hand of a lifetime spent unearthing what happened to our survivors when they were just children.
"We are so humbled to have worked with the four men in this film who wanted to make this in honour of their school friends who died, so that the truth would finally be told.'
As reported by BBC News, in the 1970s and 1980s, more than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products.
One group that was impacted by this were haemophiliacs, who had rare disorders which meant their blood didn't clot properly.
Set your reminders, Tuesday 20th May ITV 9pm (Also available to stream on ITV X) The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School 💔💛🖤@chriswardmp @metpoliceuk @sussex_police @HaemoSocUK @UN @EHC_Haemophilia @wfhemophilia @ukhomeoffice @YvetteCooperMP @MoJGovUK @wesstreeting pic.twitter.com/3rDObtQSUg
— Mark Antony Ward (@Haemosexual) May 14, 2025
In the 1970s, a new treatment using donated human blood plasma was developed to replace clotting agents in haemophiliacs, but entire batches were contaminated with deadly viruses.
An inquiry found that about 1,250 people in the UK with bleeding disorders went on to develop both HIV and hepatitis C, including 380 children.
About two-thirds later died of Aids-related illnesses, with some unintentionally passing it onto their partners.
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Another 2,400 to 5,000 people developed hepatitis C on its own, which can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer.
BBC News adds: "It is difficult to know the exact number of people infected with hepatitis C, partly because it can take decades for symptoms to appear."
A second group of patients were given contaminated blood transfusions after childbirth, surgery or other medical treatment between 1970 and 1991.
In total, it is thought around 3,000 people have died due to the infected blood scandal.
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