Psychological support system opens to infected blood victims
The Infected Blood Psychological Service will include talking therapies; peer support and psychosocial support, NHS England said.
More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s.
And more than 3,000 people have died as a result, while survivors are living with lifelong health implications.
The new service is open to victims of the scandal as well as bereaved partners, parents, children and their extended families.
People can self refer by phone or can be referred to the service by their GP.
Officials said that a specialist therapist will help create tailored mental health plans for those in need of support.
The Infected Blood Inquiry Report is now published on the Inquiry website. Access the Report here: https://t.co/lhr9SGYlFd
— Infected Blood Inquiry (@bloodinquiry) May 20, 2024
Claire Murdoch, national mental health director at NHS England, said: 'The contaminated blood scandal and the subsequent long fight for answers have had life-altering physical and psychological impacts for thousands across the country and the NHS is determined to ensure that anyone infected or affected can receive evidence-based support and treatment.
'It has been so important that the Infected Blood Psychological Service has been co-designed with members of the infected blood community to ensure the best and most personalised care possible, and we are very grateful to all our partners who have helped establish these vital new services.'
Nicola Leahey, from Lancashire, was infected with Hepatitis C following blood transfusions in 1975 and/or 1980, and was part of the expert advisory group to the new service.
'After my diagnosis, I felt that my body had been violated, that I had been physically and mentally abused, stripped of my dignity, my self-esteem diminished, I mourned lost opportunities, I felt betrayed,' she said.
'So many of us have long awaited the opportunity to have professional support to try to cope with the trauma and life-long effects that we've been subjected to.
'I'm thrilled that this much-needed service is now operational for both those infected and affected members of the infected blood community across England.'
Professor Meghana Pandit, co-national medical director for secondary care at NHS England, added: 'Following the recommendations of the Inquiry, this new service represents a vital step in ensuring patients and families affected in England can be offered tailored psychological treatment and support, and we are pleased that specialist clinics are now open in all areas of England.
'This bespoke psychological treatment is already making a difference to the lives of the first people to access it, and we now want to ensure everyone eligible is aware of the services provided.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Dad's hideous final days as flesh-eating bug devoured his leg
Basil Kennedy, 77, from New Orleans, was getting ready to launch his boat into the Mississippi waters when he cut his leg on the trailer A dad has died from a terrifying flesh-eating bacteria - as cases of the rare disease continue to rise. Basil Kennedy, 77, was getting ready to launch his boat into the water when he cut his leg on the trailer. He immediately cleaned the wound using hydrogen peroxide and covered it with a plaster. But just three days later, he developed a rare infection and was taken to hospital with a high temperature, vomiting, and elevated levels of lactic acid - a warning sign of sepsis. It comes after the deadly Oropouche virus has been found in the UK for the first time after sweeping Europe. 'His leg started to slowly swell,' daughter Kay Kennedy said. 'Then, it became a little bit red, and it was like, 'OK, something's not right here.' But then, once it really took hold in the leg, I mean we were just watching it swell, blister, fluid – everything you expect from the flesh-eating bacteria.' The grandfather from New Orleans, US, underwent two surgeries to remove the infected skin tissue. Doctors said he had contracted Vibrio vulnificus, which is a deadly bacterium found in warm coastal waters. Kennedy died of organ failure on July 21. 'His kidneys never woke up,' his daughter added. 'They had shut down from the septic shock. His liver was declining daily as a result of the septic shock, and ... there's nothing they could do.' Scientists believe the number of cases is rising as due to climate change making the waters warmer, which means Vibrio is spreading further north and remaining on coasts longer. Anyone can become infected but individuals with chronic health conditions such as liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or those who are immunocompromised, face a much higher risk of severe illness or death. The rare infection has already killed 32 people across the Gulf Coast this year. Furthermore, 17 people in Louisiana have been infected with the bacteria, resulting in four deaths. According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 people with Vibrio vulnificus die, sometimes within 48 hours of becoming ill. The bacteria can cause illness when an open wound is exposed to coastal waters or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, including oysters. His heartbroken daughters are trying to raise awareness of the rare disease - but still want people to enjoy the waters as her keen sailor dad did. 'There doesn't need to be a fear of the water,' Kennedy said. 'There really needs to be an education and an understanding of how to be prepared for a situation where you may be exposed or there is a potential risk.'
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Family welcome inquest into death of boy sent home from A&E
The family of a five-year-old boy who died after he was sent home from A&E say they are 'getting closer and closer to the truth' after an inquest into his death was opened. Yusuf Mahmud Nazir died at Sheffield Children's Hospital on November 23 2022, eight days after he was seen at Rotherham Hospital and sent home with antibiotics. Last month, after a second report into Yusuf's care was published by NHS England, his family called for an inquest into his death, saying there were still many unanswered questions. On Thursday, an inquest was opened and adjourned by Sheffield's Senior Coroner Tanyka Rawden. Speaking after the five minute-long hearing, Yusuf's uncle Zaheer Ahmed said: 'It's been a very long journey for us and we really appreciate the fact that the coroner has listened to us on our first approach and given us the inquest we want. 'And it will give us more answers about how Yusuf died, which is what we're wanting. 'It's been a tough fight to get here, but we're getting closer and closer to the truth.' The coroner adjourned the inquest to a case management hearing on January 30 2026 but said the full hearing will be later than this. Mr Ahmed said: 'We don't mind how long it takes as long as everything gets looked at properly and thoroughly and we get the answers that we need. 'We don't want it to be rushed. We don't want any opportunities to be missed.' He said: 'It was actually Yusuf's birthday yesterday. He would have been eight years old today.' Mr Ahmed has always said they were told 'there are no beds and not enough doctors' in the emergency department, and that Yusuf should have been admitted and given intravenous antibiotics in Rotherham. Yusuf, who had asthma, was taken to a GP with a sore throat and feeling unwell on November 15. He was prescribed antibiotics by an advanced nurse practitioner. Later that evening, his parents took him to Rotherham Hospital urgent and emergency care centre (UECC) where he was seen in the early hours of the morning after a six-hour wait. He was discharged with a diagnosis of severe tonsillitis and an extended prescription of antibiotics. Two days later Yusuf was given further antibiotics by his GP for a possible chest infection, but his family became so concerned they called an ambulance and insisted the paramedics take him to Sheffield Children's Hospital rather than Rotherham. Yusuf was admitted to the intensive care unit on November 21 but developed multi-organ failure and suffered several cardiac arrests which he did not survive. The new report published in July included a range of recommendations for the NHS. It concluded: 'Our primary finding is that the parental concerns, particularly the mother's instinct that her child was unwell, were repeatedly not addressed across services.' Speaking at a press conference in Rotherham in July, Yusuf's mother, Soniya Ahmed, said: 'For the medical staff there are lessons to be learnt from this tragedy, but for us, our life, Yusuf has been taken away from us in the most horrific way. 'Every night when I close my eyes I hear Yusuf's helpless voice in my ears saying, 'Mummy, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I really can't'.' Ms Ahmed choked back tears as she said: 'We want to know how our son has died and who is responsible, and the only way we will get these answers is with an inquest. The family demand an inquest.' The new report by Peter Carter, former general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said Yusuf had 23 separate healthcare contacts across four organisations 'with no single, co-ordinated record or oversight, contributing to fragmented and disjointed care'. The family said they were most surprised by the report's findings in relation to Sheffield Children's Hospital, including that it used an outdated cannula method which deprived Yusuf of drugs he needed. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said last month: 'There are no excuses for the tragic failings in the lead-up to Yusuf's death and I know first-hand how hard it has been for his family to live without the answers they deserve.'
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Expectant mothers encouraged to use 'vital' NHS service
Thousands of expectant mothers in the East of England have taken up a new NHS service and more are being encouraged to take across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and elsewhere have been using the service, where they can refer themselves directly to their local maternity services - without the need to first see a GP - by completing an online Matthews, NHS England's chief midwife for the region, said the referral system was a "leap forward in helping women have more control" through their Sutton, from March, Cambridgeshire, who has used the system, said she found it to be "a really simple process". The self-referral system was first rolled out in March and three quarters of NHS trusts in England are now connected. In the East of England, 1,704 referrals have been made to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, with a further 1,256 made to North West Anglia NHS Foundation University Hospitals NHS Trust has had 1,218 referrals. 'Straightforward and reassuring' It is estimated that the new service could lead to 180,000 fewer calls to GPs - and up to 30,000 fewer general practice appointments each on her experience of the service, Ms Sutton added: "Once I had completed the form, I got a call within 48 hours from the community midwife about booking my appointment... it was really straightforward and reassuring to get the first appointment quickly."First appointments provide an opportunity for women to discuss their pregnancy - and arrange early screening tests which can identify high-risk Matthews said: "GPs will always be available for any pregnant women who have concerns about their pregnancy that they need to discuss, or other health conditions that need monitoring, or who don't have access to smartphones. "However, GP teams don't need to be the first point of contact when someone finds out they're pregnant, so this quick and easy tool is also helping ease pressure on GP practice teams and freeing up time for other patients who are looking to make an appointment with their GP." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
