Blood product law needs MPs' support (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Blood product law needs MPs' support

7:00am Sunday 14th February 2010

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A KIDDERMINSTER woman who contracted hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products is calling on the Government to support a new law being proposed in Parliament.

Ros Cooper, 35, of Shrubbery Street, was diagnosed with type III von Willebrand disease (vWD) – a severe bleeding disorder – when she was eight months old.

Since that time, she has needed regular injections of blood products, as well as blood transfusions.

She believes that she probably contracted hepatitis C when she had her first injections and says the the effects have devastated her life. Now she is calling on MPs to support a Private Member’s Bill by Lord Morris of Manchester, which has already attracted cross-party support.

The Contaminated Blood (Support for Infected and Bereaved Persons) Bill aims to turn into legislation the recommendations of an independent public inquiry headed by Lord Archer of Sandwell.

That provides for urgent further help for those affected by what has been called “the worst ever treatment disaster in the history of the NHS”.

The contaminated blood disaster left 4,670 patients infected with hepatitis C, of which 1,243 were also infected with HIV. An estimated 1,974 have since died.

Mrs Cooper said: “No-one ever told us of any risks associated with using blood products or having blood transfusions.

“We accepted that they were the solution to a severe condition – one that would enable me to achieve a quality of life impossible for a severe bleeder.”

She explained that because of the virus she had had to ensure that no-one shared her toothbrush, glass or food.

But Mrs Cooper, who is now married to husband, Ade, added that following a second course of “horrendous” treatment in 2002-3, she had been free of hepatitis C.

She still has periods of chronic fatigue, however, which have led to long periods off work. She said symptoms included headaches, painful joints, “raging moments”, hot flushes, “huge forgetfulness” and incoherence.

Mrs Cooper’s parents, John and Juliet Batten, joined more than 130 people at the House of Commons on Wednesday last week, calling for action from the Government.

Dr Richard Taylor, Wyre Forest MP, supports the Bill and says that although it is unlikely to be passed into law, it should generate much-needed interest and publicity around the issue.

The crucial second reading of the Bill in the House of Commons was delayed last Friday until February 26.

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