Pre-1996 Transfusion Testing
Infected Blood Inquiry · Infected Blood Inquiry Final Report · Issued 20 May 2024 · Addressed to: UK Government, NHS England
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
When doctors become aware that a patient has had a blood transfusion prior to 1996, that patient should be offered a blood test for Hepatitis C.
Infected Blood Inquiry, Infected Blood Inquiry Final Report · 20 May 2024 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Government stated in December 2024 that NHS England was committed to identifying all those infected with a bloodborne disease however transmitted, and that the likelihood of undiagnosed infection from pre-1996 transfusions was very low due to previous look-back exercises (Government Response to the Infected Blood Inquiry, Cabinet Office, December 2024).
- No published guidance to doctors requiring Hepatitis C testing for patients known to have received a blood transfusion prior to 1996 has been identified to March 2026.
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government — initial response
UK Government
NHS England is committed to identifying all those infected with a bloodborne disease, however it is transmitted.
We would like to reassure the public that evidence shows the likelihood of contracting Hepatitis C via a blood transfusion after 1992 is extremely low following the introduction of universal blood screening to detect Hep C infection in September 1991. However, to address the Inquiry’s conclusion that it is ‘reasonably possible’ that some infections may have occurred from blood transfusions after universal screening was introduced, the UK Government accepts this recommendation.
Delivery is progressing and the recommendation is ready to be implemented. Changes to the GP Online Registration service, which will help deliver this recommendation, have been agreed and the national "go-live" date is the end of May. NHS England is publishing supporting implementation guidance for GP practices in advance of this go live.
Scottish Government
In Scotland, there has already been awareness raising in this area in 2015 and 2016 following the Penrose Inquiry’s recommendation, therefore many transfusion patients were tested for Hepatitis C at that time. An updated Chief Medical Officer (CMO) letter was issued in June 2024 to ask all GP practices and staff in secondary care in Scotland to offer Hepatitis C testing to anyone transfused prior to 1996 who has not already been tested. The letter also asks GP practices to ensure they ask new patients about any previous blood transfusions when they have their initial appointment with a new GP practice. Information for patients on the NHS Inform website has been updated to align with the CMO letter. These recommendations have therefore now been implemented.
Welsh Government
In Wales, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer along with the Senior Medical Officer for Primary Care, have issued a Welsh Health Circular (WHC (2024)50) to all Health Boards asking them to advise those in Primary Care to test patients when the circumstances meet the criteria and for them to update their new patient screening to include a question on previous blood transfusions. These recommendations have been implemented.
Northern Ireland Executive
In Northern Ireland, the Chief Medical Officer issued a Circular on Hepatitis C Testing Guidance (HSS(MD)16/2024) to advise that Hepatitis C testing was currently carried out via routine clinical care for people who think they might have been infected through a blood transfusion or in another way.
Further engagement is currently ongoing with the Department’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group and primary care policy leads to ascertain the best approach to adopt in relation to General Practice registration.
UK Government · 14 May 2025 Written response →
●NHS England — follow-up
Implemented across all four nations. Healthcare providers directed to offer Hepatitis C testing to patients who received transfusions before 1996.
NHS England · 14 May 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 15 Jan 2026 · IBCA Community Update As of 13 January 2026: 3,721 people asked to start claims, 3,546 begun process, 3,074 received offers totalling £2.47bn, 2,861 paid totalling £1.89bn. Third compensation regulations in force 31 December 2025. View source → Good Progress
- 28 Oct 2025 · IBCA Independent Review IBCA has contacted 2,215 people to begin compensation claims; 1,934 started process. £812m+ paid via Horizon Shortfall Scheme. £11.8bn committed in Autumn Budget. View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.