HOW tragic that little Colin Smith died after he was infected with hepatitis C and HIV from contaminated blood products in hospital. (March 25.) Some 34,000 patients in Britain were infected with these, mainly because the blood was brought in from abroad from high-risk paid donors, such as prisoners. A friend of our family was infected with hepatitis C in 1986 by an NHS blood transfusion. From 1984 blood could be screened for hepatitis C and HIV, but some hospitals chose not to use screened blood in order to save money. So this was not a case of an unfortunate accident! Our friend lost his successful career and was left physically disabled by the medical drugs given to treat him in hospital. I’ve read that Anita Roddick – founder of The Body Shop – was infected with hepatitis C by an NHS blood transfusion during childbirth and died some years later from the side-effects of the treatment. Most of these sufferers received no redress or even an apology from the NHS, and many of them have died.

Compensation must be paid to them.

A. Wills, Ruislip