Scottish Government’s response to joint letter from SIBF and Haemophilia Scotland

SIBF have received a response from the Scottish Government to our joint letter to the First Minister written on 25th July with Haemophilia Scotland.

The Health Secretary, Shona Robison MSP, has responded in the First minister’s stead with the following points:

• She offered to take a more proactive role in advising the UK Government of the views of Scottish stakeholders if that would be helpful;
• She agreed with our call for the procedures of the UK Inquiry to be accessible for people in Scotland;
• She detailed information and support offered by Scotland to the process of establishing the UK Inquiry; and
• She declared her intention to continue to work closely with us in relation to the UK Inquiry.

Her letter can be downloaded here.

Following our joint member meeting on Saturday 26th August, our joint members gave both organisations the clear go-ahead to engage with the process of establishing the UK-wide Public Inquiry and to try and influence the terms of reference to learn from our experience of the Penrose Inquiry and provide the unique Scottish perspective.

The SIBF is keen to have an open dialogue with both UK and Scottish Governments so that the views of the infected and affected people in Scotland are heard. However, the Forum, as advised by our membership, does not in any way support the UK Department of Health being involved in the sponsoring of the Inquiry, its setting-up, its scope, remit or terms of reference.

For that Department to be so involved prejudices natural justice.