In the 1970s and 80s, a shocking number of medical trials using infected blood products on children in the UK have been uncovered. These trials, conducted for over 15 years, prioritized research goals over patients’ well-being, resulting in hundreds of children being infected with hepatitis C and HIV.
Children with blood clotting disorders were subjected to these trials without proper consent from their families. The majority of these children have since died, and survivors like Luke O’Shea-Phillips describe being treated like “guinea pigs.”
Documents reveal that doctors knowingly used contaminated blood products, imported from the US and sourced from high-risk donors, despite awareness of the risks. Children were enrolled in trials without adequate consent, and some were even given placebo treatments without their knowledge.
The scale of these trials extends beyond individual cases, with an entire community of doctors pursuing similar research ambitions. Treloar’s College, a school for disabled children with a haemophilia unit, served as a testing ground for extensive clinical trials, resulting in numerous deaths among its pupils.
The pursuit of clinical advancement through research led to unethical practices, with doctors like Dr. Kernoff recruiting younger and younger subjects, even infants, for trials. The consequences have been devastating, with many participants contracting hepatitis C and facing life-threatening complications, including liver cancer.
How do you feel about the ethical implications of conducting medical trials on children without proper consent, prioritsing research goals over patient safety?