Concerns about remaining untested blood product stocks in the system being administered to patients had been raised by doctors before screening was introduced.
In February 1991, Dr John Cash, from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, wrote a letter to Dr Harold Gunson, who at the time was director of the National Blood Transfusion Services.
He asked when a decision would be made about whether existing blood stocks would be tested, noting: “The task is doable but formidable.”
No national policy was ever announced and testing was piecemeal, if it happened at all.
During the Infected Blood Inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff noted some old blood donations were not tested, saying: “If it’s right, it may have repercussions for the accuracy of the start date [of the compensation schemes].”
The inquiry into the wider infected blood scandal will conclude on 20 May.
