Infected Blood Inquiry – Police review update

Following the conclusion of the Infected Blood Inquiry in 2024, policing commissioned a review to examine whether a criminal investigation should be undertaken.

A senior major crime investigator has led this review, examining the detailed findings of the public inquiry to see whether they meet the bar for a criminal investigation and potential prosecution.

Given the scale and complexity of the information, the review to date has focused on Chapters 1 and 2 of the inquiry report findings, which included events at Treloar’s School in Alton, Hampshire. The ambition was that the two chapters would provide sufficient information to determine whether a criminal investigation would be viable but this has not proved possible.

At a meeting of senior police leaders on June 24, consideration was given to the rationale for undertaking a more comprehensive review, whilst recognising the understandable frustration and disappointment that any further delay may cause to those awaiting an update.

The discussion also explored some of the challenges facing policing in determining the most appropriate course of action, including:

• The manner in which evidence was gathered and considered by the Public Inquiry differs significantly from the evidential standards and requirements applicable to a criminal investigation.
• Witnesses who provided evidence to the Public Inquiry did so in a different context and for a different purpose. Should a criminal investigation be commenced, it would be necessary to approach witnesses again to establish whether they are willing to provide evidence for the purposes of a police investigation and any subsequent criminal proceedings.
• The possibility that there may be no individual or corporate body against whom criminal proceedings could properly be pursued.
• Even where potential suspects or organisations can be identified, the legal thresholds for offences such as gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter are exceptionally high. The review to date has identified a number of significant legal and evidential challenges that would need to be overcome before any realistic prospect of prosecution could be established.

The outcome of this meeting was a decision to extend the review to cover all of the chapters in the report.

Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin said:

“We know that, for those who were infected or affected by the infected blood scandal, this represents a further delay in what has already been an anxious wait for a review outcome, this is both unfortunate and regrettable but we believe necessary.

“Having completed the review of Chapters 1 and 2 of the inquiry findings, we cannot be certain that further relevant or overlapping matters won’t emerge from the remainder of the report, and therefore it would be inappropriate to make any decisions based solely on those two chapters.

“It is essential that we ensure our analysis is thorough, careful and robust before reaching any conclusions. It is very important that we get this review right for all those impacted.

“Work is now underway to review the remainder of the report findings, and we aim to complete that work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“To be clear, at this stage, we remain in a review phase. Only once that is completed will it be possible to make informed decisions regarding the necessity, nature, scope and direction of any potential future investigation.”

The NPCC is committed to providing regular updates regarding the status of the review. The next update will be provided in the week commencing October 26, 2026.

Support for anyone infected or affected can be found by going to the Infected Blood Inquiry web page and following the links to support groups and services.

Information regarding compensation, including how to claim, can be found on the Infected Blood Compensation Authority website.