Campaigner looks forward to inquiry

Campaigner looks forward to inquiry

19 July 2017

BRIAN Carberry has never been able to enjoy what most people would call a normal life.

Since haemophilia was detected shortly after birth, he has required regular transfusions of a blood-clotting protein. His health problems then took a significant turn for the worse when he was infected with contaminated blood in the 1980s and contracted hepatitis C. In recent years the 50 year-old has also battled TB, which he believes is linked to his health troubles, and Non Hodgkins lymphoma.

The hepatitis C contraction is part of scandal thought to affected around 7,500 people, many of them haemophiliacs, and killed over 2400. Imported blood products containing HIV and Hepatitis C are believed to have been used from high-risk donors such as prisoners in the US.

The announcement of a public inquiry has been welcomed by Brian, who has campaigned hard for one in the midst of his own ill-health.

Trying to describe the impact of hepatitis C on his life, which has left him unable to work, he said: “You can’t concentrate on anything, you get run down, you tire very easily. You try to go on you try to do wee bits and pieces.

“I have made the most of what I can. If you dwell on it, it makes you worse.

“I have a daughter and son from my first marriage and a 12 year-old boy from my marriage with Caroline. She supports me, she is there behind me every step of the way, very much so. 

“There is always something going on in family life, you just make the most of everything you can. “Their support has been invaluable. In 2011 I was diagnosed with TB and without their support I would not have got through that. 

“Two years ago I was also diagnosed with Non Hodgkin lymphoma. I had chemotherapy and am now in remission.

“With the TB, they won’t connect it to the hepatitis C, but I must be one of the most unlucky people to get it as it is nearly extinct.”

Brian received his hepatitis C diagnosis in 1991 but believes he was infected several years before that.

“We were told it was nothing to worry about, that we should not be affected, hardly at all,” he said. “Now we know it is slowly killing us.

“In 2004 I started a treatment for it but I took these psychotic episodes and after three months one of the doctors said to come off it.

“Last year I had a treatment for three months, Harvoni, which seems to be successful.

“Basically your health is up and down all the time.

“Once a week, even now, I have treatment for haemophilia, it’s more preventative,” he said. “Now there is no human blood itself. Now it is done synthetically.”

Brian believes there has been a cover-up in the blood contamination scandal, and while he does not blame the NHS, he does blame government departments.

“There are letters between departments coming out from the 1980s warning of the seriousness of it,” he said. “There are letters from professors in America warning of the risk.

“All these things are going to come out in the inquiry.

“We’re looking for justice and proof there’s been a cover-up for the last 30 years.”

The announcement of a public inquiry came just two days after six party leaders in the Commons, including Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn and the DUP parliamentary group leader Nigel Dodds, signed a joint letter calling for an inquiry.

“Our former MP Margaret Ritchie has been outstanding in the House of Commons, she has brought the issue up several times,” he said. “If not we really would not have got the public inquiry so I have got to give credit to her as well as others such as Diana Johnson, the MP for Hull.”

Downing Street has said it will begin a consultation to decide exactly what form the announced probe will take, such as a Hillsborough-style independent panel or a judge-led statutory inquiry.