This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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No action on blood products allegations
23/02/2004
Crown Counsel have concluded that no further action is
to be taken following consideration of a report from
Strathclyde Police seeking instructions on whether
allegations concerning the supply of blood products to
haemophiliacs should be the subject of a criminal
investigation.
The Scottish Haemophiliac Groups Forum referred the
matter to the Association of Chief Police Officers in
Scotland (ACPOS) in late 2002.
Strathclyde Police, acting on behalf of the Asscoation
of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, carried out a
preliminary investigation and referred the matter to Crown
Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Crown Counsel have now decided that further
investigation would not be justified as there is
insufficient evidence that any criminal offence has been
committed.
In England and Wales after similar allegations were made
by Haemophiliac Action UK, Dyffed-Powys Police made a
similar investigation. No further action was taken on the
basis that there was no likelihood of a viable criminal
prosecution.
The complaint to the police was made against the
background of the Scottish Haemophilia Groups Forum's
campaign to have a public inquiry.
In December 2003 Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm
declined to order a public inquiry as he was satisfied that
he had not seen any evidence that showed that clinicians or
officials acted wrongly in Scotland, and there are no
lessons that could be learned from a public inquiry that
have not already been learned.