Latest news with #LordMayorTreloarSchoolandCollege
BBC News
12-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Treloar's College contaminated blood pupils to appeal ruling
Former boarding school pupils who received medical treatments using contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s intend to appeal against a court pupils of the Lord Mayor Treloar School and College in Hampshire, which at the time was a boarding school for children with haemophilia, are seeking legal action against its trust in the High Judge David Cook declined to make an order to manage the claims together, finding the affected were not a "homogeneous group".The claimants' legal team said they "remain determined to hold the school to account for the wrongs of the past". At least 72 children died after being given a drug contaminated with HIV and viral hepatitis at the a hearing last month, lawyers for the former pupils and their relatives said the cases should be managed together, while lawyers for the trust said the best way for the former pupils to be compensated will be through the government's Infected Blood Compensation Cook said that if multiple claims were brought by 63 potential claimants, their cases could be consolidated."I am, however, far from satisfied that 63 claims will materialise having regard to the imminent approval and implementation of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme."In the event that any potential claimant were to be able to make out a case that they had not received proper compensation, such claims could proceed efficiently and proportionately under court's ordinary powers of case management.""It is important that it should be understood this does not mean the court is preventing these potential claims from being progressed or is indicating any view upon the merits of the potential claims."In the event that any of the individual claimants wish to issue a claim, there is absolutely nothing to prevent them from doing so."Des Collins, a legal adviser to the claimants, said they were "surprised and disappointed" by Tuesday's judgment, which they intend to appeal."It cannot be right that the treatment of former pupils as guinea pigs by Treloar's in the 70s and 80s goes without sanction"Treloar's should not breathe a sigh of relief just yet since my clients remain determined to hold the school to account for the wrongs of the past."Reading a statement on the trust's behalf, Toby Riley-Smith KC said it was "so sorry" that many former pupils were among the affected. "It is so sorry that as a result, they and their loved ones have suffered so much, and for so long."It is so sorry that they have been victims of this tragedy, which Sir Brian Langstaff has described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, a tragedy that has been compounded by the fact that it has taken so long for their plight to be recognised."After the judgment, a spokesperson for Treloar's said: "We firmly believe that the best route for our former students to receive timely and substantial recompense is via the government compensation scheme."We urge the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to pay the levels of compensation that have already been set as soon as possible." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Independent
27-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
School ‘so sorry' to ex-pupils affected by infected blood scandal, court told
The charity which runs a boarding school where former pupils received medical treatments using contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s has said it is 'so sorry' that they 'have been victims of this tragedy'. Several former pupils of the Lord Mayor Treloar School and College in Hampshire, which at the time was a boarding school for children with haemophilia, are taking legal action against the Treloar Trust, which operates the site. They are seeking compensation over claims that the school gave them unlawful treatments involving contaminated blood products, which infected them with a variety of diseases including HIV and Hepatitis A, B and C, without their or their parents' knowledge. Lawyers for the former pupils claim that more than 70 former pupils have died since their time at the school, with those still alive telling the PA news agency that they were given a 'death sentence'. At a hearing on Wednesday, barristers for the trust apologised to former pupils in attendance, stating it was 'acutely aware of the pain and suffering and the loss' they had endured. Reading a statement on the trust's behalf, Toby Riley-Smith KC said it was 'so sorry' that many former pupils 'were among those infected with hepatitis and HIV, as a result of treatment with contaminated blood products'. He said: 'It is so sorry that as a result, they and their loved ones have suffered so much, and for so long. 'It is so sorry that they have been victims of this tragedy, which Sir Brian Langstaff has described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, a tragedy that has been compounded by the fact that it has taken so long for their plight to be recognised.' The contaminated blood scandal is widely seen as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history. Several pupils sent to Treloar's in the 1970s and 1980s because of their haemophilia – an inherited disorder where the blood does not clot properly – were given treatment at an on-site NHS centre while receiving their education, but it was later found that they were treated with contaminated plasma blood products. Last year, the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, written by inquiry chairman Sir Brian Langstaff, said that the children at Treloar's were 'often regarded as objects for research', and that there was 'no doubt' that healthcare professionals at the school were aware of the risks of virus transmission. Victims of the scandal are set to receive up to £2.7 million each with a £10,000 'unethical research' fee in addition. A higher award of £15,000 has been offered to those who were experimented on at the school, but this sum has previously been described as a 'kick in the teeth' by former pupils, and which their barrister, Andrew Goddard KC, said on Wednesday was 'inadequate'. The former pupils began legal action in 2022, with the latest hearing dealing with preliminary issues in the claims, including how to manage them going forward. Mr Goddard told the court that the cases should be managed together, claiming in written submissions that there was a 'substantial number' of former pupils who were 'subject to similar conduct' at the school. In court, he said the school 'knew of and was involved in the research projects', that the pupils were used as 'guinea pigs', and that they had gone through 'sheer hell'. He also said that the schoolchildren were 'experimented on', and that in one case, the research conducted at the facility at the school was for a doctor's PhD thesis. While he said the words of the apology were 'sincere', he said: 'What they don't include is any apology for what the school did. It is not a question of what has happened to these people, it is about apologising for what the school did. 'These claimants are motivated by what happened to them, by a desire to see some form of accountability.' He said the former pupils had 'sheer astonishment that the school always seeks to pass the blame to someone else (and) that the school will not hold up its hands'. The trust is resisting the bid to have the cases managed together, with Mr Riley-Smith telling the court that while the trust 'understands completely why they would now seek, and why they deserve compensation', the government's Infected Blood Compensation Scheme is 'the best way to achieve the compensation they deserve'. Addressing the former pupils, he added: 'Treloar's has asked me to make it clear that although we may disagree with your lawyers on issues of liability and the appropriate way in which your claims for compensation should be decided and managed, nothing we say today should be seen in any way as minimising the suffering of the victims.' Judge David Cook said he will hand down his ruling on the preliminary matters in writing at a later date. He began the hearing by addressing former pupils, stating that it was 'beyond argument that what has happened is a tragedy and that tragedy has been amplified by the time it has taken the state, and various interested parties, to properly address the issues that have occurred here'. Following the hearing, a spokesperson for Treloar's said: 'After careful consideration of the evidence, the judge has decided to reserve his judgment on a GLO. Both parties have put forward their arguments in this case and they will now be carefully considered. 'While we fully sympathise with our former students' campaign, we firmly believe that the best route to receive timely and substantial recompense is via the Government compensation scheme. 'We urge the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) to pay the levels of compensation that have already been set as soon as possible.'
The Independent
27-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Former Treloar pupils claim school ‘failed' them amid compensation battle
Four men who claim they were 'guinea pigs' at a school where pupils received medical treatments using contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s have said that they were 'failed' by the institution. Richard Warwick, Gary Webster, Steve Nicholls and Adrian Goodyear all attended the Lord Mayor Treloar School and College in Hampshire in the 1970s and 80s, which at the time was a boarding school for children with haemophilia, an inherited disorder where the blood does not clot properly. They are now part of a group of dozens of former pupils taking legal action against the charity which operates the site, the Treloar Trust, claiming the school gave them unlawful treatments involving contaminated blood products, which infected them with a variety of diseases including HIV and hepatitis A, B and C, without their or their parents' knowledge. Last year, the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, written by inquiry chairman Sir Brian Langstaff, found that the children at Treloar's were 'often regarded as objects for research', and that there was 'no doubt' that healthcare professionals at the school were aware of the risks of virus transmission. None of the four men can work because of health problems, and Mr Warwick told the PA news agency on Tuesday that they were given a 'death sentence'. Mr Goodyear, 54, attended the school from 1980 to 1989 and now suffers from HIV and hepatitis A, B and C. He said what took place at the school was 'insidious'. He said: 'Treloar's sold us a dream, and that dream failed us. 'The dream failed us completely, and it left us with fear of dying on our friends and our families. We all had to take that fear, and so did the families. 'Treloar's must take some sort of responsibility for that. We were in their care, and they failed us.' Pupils at the school were given treatment at an on-site NHS centre while receiving their education, but it was later found that they were treated with contaminated plasma blood products. Mr Webster, 59, who went to the school from 1975 to 1983 and now has HIV and hepatitis B and C, said the school had a discipline system in which pupils received a 'black mark' if they missed an injection or other treatment. He said he was informed he had HIV when he was 17, and that the school 'did what they liked with us'. He said: 'We all feel it has been a bit of a wasted life. 'We got a good education at Treloar's, and many of us left going straight into jobs, but because of this we haven't been able to do the jobs we wished we could have done, or the activities we wished we could have done, so it's partly a wasted life, and it should never have been that way. 'We could have done so much more.' The contaminated blood scandal is widely seen as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history. Victims will receive up to £2.7 million each, with a £10,000 'unethical research' fee in addition, and a higher award of £15,000 has been offered to those who were experimented on at the Treloar. This sum has previously been described as a 'kick in the teeth' by former pupils, but while the legal claims could result in the former pupils being awarded further compensation, Mr Warwick said the battle was 'about getting some form of accountability for the wrongdoings that children had to endure'. He said: 'They completely failed in their duty of care towards the children, we were kept in the dark, we didn't know what was going on, we were uninformed, as were our parents. 'We were treated essentially as guinea pigs, there was no safeguarding, there was no compassion.' Mr Nicholls, 58, who attended the school from 1976 to 1983 and now has hepatitis A, B and C, said that more than 70 former Treloar pupils have died since their time at the school and that those still alive felt 'survivors' guilt'. He said: 'It (the legal claim) is not about us. It's about the 80 dead boys. 'We are their voices, and we are going to fight until the end for this, to get them justice.'At a hearing at the High Court on Wednesday, lawyers for the trust apologised to the former pupils, saying it was 'so sorry' that they 'have been victims of this tragedy'. Reading a statement on behalf of the trust, Toby Riley-Smith KC said: 'It is so sorry that as a result, they and their loved ones have suffered so much, and for so long. 'It is so sorry that they have been victims of this tragedy, which Sir Brian Langstaff has described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, a tragedy that has been compounded by the fact that it has taken so long for their plight to be recognised.' A spokesperson for Treloar's said: 'While we fully sympathise with our former students' campaign, we firmly believe that the best route to receive timely and substantial recompense is via the Government compensation scheme. 'We urge the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) to pay the levels of compensation that have already been set as soon as possible.'
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Former Treloar pupils claim school ‘failed' them amid compensation battle
Four men who claim they were 'guinea pigs' at a school where pupils received medical treatments using contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s have said that they were 'failed' by the institution. Richard Warwick, Gary Webster, Steve Nicholls and Adrian Goodyear all attended the Lord Mayor Treloar School and College in Hampshire in the 1970s and 80s, which at the time was a boarding school for children with haemophilia, an inherited disorder where the blood does not clot properly. They are now part of a group of dozens of former pupils taking legal action against the charity which operates the site, the Treloar Trust, claiming the school gave them unlawful treatments involving contaminated blood products, which infected them with a variety of diseases including HIV and hepatitis A, B and C, without their or their parents' knowledge. Last year, the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, written by inquiry chairman Sir Brian Langstaff, found that the children at Treloar's were 'often regarded as objects for research', and that there was 'no doubt' that healthcare professionals at the school were aware of the risks of virus transmission. None of the four men can work because of health problems, and Mr Warwick told the PA news agency on Tuesday that they were given a 'death sentence'. Mr Goodyear, 54, attended the school from 1980 to 1989 and now suffers from HIV and hepatitis A, B and C. He said what took place at the school was 'insidious'. He said: 'Treloar's sold us a dream, and that dream failed us. 'The dream failed us completely, and it left us with fear of dying on our friends and our families. We all had to take that fear, and so did the families. 'Treloar's must take some sort of responsibility for that. We were in their care, and they failed us.' Pupils at the school were given treatment at an on-site NHS centre while receiving their education, but it was later found that they were treated with contaminated plasma blood products. Mr Webster, 59, who went to the school from 1975 to 1983 and now has HIV and hepatitis B and C, said the school had a discipline system in which pupils received a 'black mark' if they missed an injection or other treatment. He said he was informed he had HIV when he was 17, and that the school 'did what they liked with us'. He said: 'We all feel it has been a bit of a wasted life. 'We got a good education at Treloar's, and many of us left going straight into jobs, but because of this we haven't been able to do the jobs we wished we could have done, or the activities we wished we could have done, so it's partly a wasted life, and it should never have been that way. 'We could have done so much more.' The contaminated blood scandal is widely seen as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history. Victims will receive up to £2.7 million each, with a £10,000 'unethical research' fee in addition, and a higher award of £15,000 has been offered to those who were experimented on at the Treloar. This sum has previously been described as a 'kick in the teeth' by former pupils, but while the legal claims could result in the former pupils being awarded further compensation, Mr Warwick said the battle was 'about getting some form of accountability for the wrongdoings that children had to endure'. He said: 'They completely failed in their duty of care towards the children, we were kept in the dark, we didn't know what was going on, we were uninformed, as were our parents. 'We were treated essentially as guinea pigs, there was no safeguarding, there was no compassion.' Mr Nicholls, 58, who attended the school from 1976 to 1983 and now has hepatitis A, B and C, said that more than 70 former Treloar pupils have died since their time at the school and that those still alive felt 'survivors' guilt'. He said: 'It (the legal claim) is not about us. It's about the 80 dead boys. 'We are their voices, and we are going to fight until the end for this, to get them justice.'At a hearing at the High Court on Wednesday, lawyers for the trust apologised to the former pupils, saying it was 'so sorry' that they 'have been victims of this tragedy'. Reading a statement on behalf of the trust, Toby Riley-Smith KC said: 'It is so sorry that as a result, they and their loved ones have suffered so much, and for so long. 'It is so sorry that they have been victims of this tragedy, which Sir Brian Langstaff has described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, a tragedy that has been compounded by the fact that it has taken so long for their plight to be recognised.' The trust has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
School ‘so sorry' to ex-pupils affected by infected blood scandal, court told
The charity which runs a boarding school where former pupils received medical treatments using contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s has said it is 'so sorry' that they 'have been victims of this tragedy'. Several former pupils of the Lord Mayor Treloar School and College in Hampshire, which at the time was a boarding school for children with haemophilia, are taking legal action against the Treloar Trust, which operates the site. They are seeking compensation over claims that the school gave them unlawful treatments involving contaminated blood products, which infected them with a variety of diseases including HIV and Hepatitis A, B and C, without their or their parents' knowledge. Lawyers for the former pupils claim that more than 70 former pupils have died since their time at the school, with those still alive telling the PA news agency that they were given a 'death sentence'. At a hearing on Wednesday, barristers for the trust apologised to former pupils in attendance, stating it was 'acutely aware of the pain and suffering and the loss' they had endured. Reading a statement on the trust's behalf, Toby Riley-Smith KC said it was 'so sorry' that many former pupils 'were among those infected with hepatitis and HIV, as a result of treatment with contaminated blood products'. He said: 'It is so sorry that as a result, they and their loved ones have suffered so much, and for so long. 'It is so sorry that they have been victims of this tragedy, which Sir Brian Langstaff has described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, a tragedy that has been compounded by the fact that it has taken so long for their plight to be recognised.' The contaminated blood scandal is widely seen as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history. Several pupils sent to Treloar's in the 1970s and 1980s because of their haemophilia – an inherited disorder where the blood does not clot properly – were given treatment at an on-site NHS centre while receiving their education, but it was later found that they were treated with contaminated plasma blood products. Last year, the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, written by inquiry chairman Sir Brian Langstaff, said that the children at Treloar's were 'often regarded as objects for research', and that there was 'no doubt' that healthcare professionals at the school were aware of the risks of virus transmission. Victims of the scandal are set to receive up to £2.7 million each with a £10,000 'unethical research' fee in addition. A higher award of £15,000 has been offered to those who were experimented on at the school, but this sum has previously been described as a 'kick in the teeth' by former pupils, and which their barrister, Andrew Goddard KC, said on Wednesday was 'inadequate'. The former pupils began legal action in 2022, with the latest hearing dealing with preliminary issues in the claims, including how to manage them going forward. Mr Goddard told the court that the cases should be managed together, claiming in written submissions that there was a 'substantial number' of former pupils who were 'subject to similar conduct' at the school. In court, he said the school 'knew of and was involved in the research projects', that the pupils were used as 'guinea pigs', and that they had gone through 'sheer hell'. He also said that the schoolchildren were 'experimented on', and that in one case, the research conducted at the facility at the school was for a doctor's PhD thesis. While he said the words of the apology were 'sincere', he said: 'What they don't include is any apology for what the school did. It is not a question of what has happened to these people, it is about apologising for what the school did. 'These claimants are motivated by what happened to them, by a desire to see some form of accountability.' He said the former pupils had 'sheer astonishment that the school always seeks to pass the blame to someone else (and) that the school will not hold up its hands'. The trust is resisting the bid to have the cases managed together, with Mr Riley-Smith telling the court that while the trust 'understands completely why they would now seek, and why they deserve compensation', the government's Infected Blood Compensation Scheme is 'the best way to achieve the compensation they deserve'. Addressing the former pupils, he added: 'Treloar's has asked me to make it clear that although we may disagree with your lawyers on issues of liability and the appropriate way in which your claims for compensation should be decided and managed, nothing we say today should be seen in any way as minimising the suffering of the victims.' Judge David Cook said he will hand down his ruling on the preliminary matters in writing at a later date. He began the hearing by addressing former pupils, stating that it was 'beyond argument that what has happened is a tragedy and that tragedy has been amplified by the time it has taken the state, and various interested parties, to properly address the issues that have occurred here'.
