Infected Blood Inquiry victims seek closure: A journey of grief, justice and healing

The emotional weight of the inquiry’s conclusion is profound, with families hoping it will bring much-needed acknowledgment and accountability for the lives lost and irreversibly altered by the tragedy

"A ticking time bomb" is how Neil Walker describes his life after being diagnosed with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.

Neil’s journey began when he was given contaminated blood products as part of his haemophilia treatment. At the age of 12, Neil tested positive for HIV, a diagnosis that turned his world upside down.

“There had to have special measures put in place - full-time bodyguards, carers, staff carrying bleach and first-aid kits, escorting me to lessons, in case they had to clear it up. They had gloves and gowns.”

Neil Walker Credit: ITV CENTRAL

At 14, Neil's health deteriorated further. Hospitalised with a suspected ruptured appendix, he encountered a lack of compassion that compounded his suffering.

He said: “The rooms were padlocked and two or three surgeons refused to operate on me - and a surgeon came from London to come and do the operation.”

The devastating diagnoses kept coming: hepatitis B the same year, hepatitis C seven years later, and eventually aids. Reflecting on his ordeal, Neil shared, “I was very scared - a total, emotional wreck. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to be a burden to my family - why me?”

Neil’s wife, Tina, echoes his frustration: “I don’t understand all the delay, delay. You know justice delayed is justice denied.”

Ros Cooper, another affected individual, emphasises the need for the government to acknowledge their failings.

Despite interim payouts of £100,000 to about 4,000 victims and bereaved partners, she argues it’s not enough.

She tells ITV News Central: "What we need is for the state to actually accept, recognise and acknowledge what did go wrong rather than saying 'we did the best at the time and because we think morally we should do something, we'll do something'.

Ros Cooper and her mother Credit: Ros Cooper

"It is actually about saying, 'We got this monumentally wrong, the fact that this is the worst treatment disaster in the NHS and actually it’s down to what we did, what previous administrations did.'

"That needs to be admitted and acknowledged, people need to stand up and say, from the heart how sorry they are about that."

Ros is adamant that Sir Brian Langstaff's recommendations to widen the compensation scheme to include orphaned children and bereaved parents must be actioned.

Until everyone is treated fairly, she feels unable to move on.

At 50, she longs to discover her identity beyond the fight for justice. Her mother poignantly reflects, "I think of all the things I could have been doing, and Ros could have been doing, but I've spent all the time doing all this other stuff."

Andy, another voice in this chorus for justice, hopes the report will lead to swift government action.

He said: "I hope the report comes out with everything that we want. And I hope the government acts swiftly to compensate people with, you know, as much as would give them a comfortable life for the rest of their lives. I don't think that's too much to ask."

The sentiment is shared by Colette, who insists that more than apologies are needed - specific acknowledgment of the wrongs and a commitment to real change.

She looks forward to a future of peace and vindication for all those affected. "I wish them peace and being able to move on," she said.

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