Episode description

Andy Evans was infected with HIV and hepatitis C at age five through contaminated haemophilia treatment provided by the NHS. He's one of the few to survive the 42 years since. In 2006, he co-founded Tainted Blood to advocate for the 30,000+ people infected by contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. About 3,000 have died.

After 18 years of campaigning, the public inquiry reported in May 2024. Rishi Sunak called it "a day of shame for the British state." Documentary evidence was deliberately destroyed. Compensation is finally being paid.

Andy discusses the decades-long cover-up, why 40 years is too long to wait for justice, and his message to other survivors fighting for accountability.

Content warning: This episode discusses difficult topics including violence, abuse, terminal illness, and death. Listener discretion is advised.

Key quotes

"Around about four-fifths of us with HIV are now dead... It's carried a great sense of responsibility because these are people that I met over the years and who are no longer with us."

"For such a long time we were cast aside as conspiracy theorists, that this couldn't happen in the United Kingdom."

"You need to have the publicity, you need to have the recognition, you need to have the understanding of the general public. And only with that can you make progress."

In memoriam

Gareth and Hayden Lewis, Darren Flack, Gary Kelly, Sue Gorman, Mike Dorricott, and all those who fought for justice but didn't live to see it.

Contact

Email: press@addresstheharm.org

Instagram / TikTok / Facebook / X @addresstheharm

Take action

Support our crowdfund at https://crowdfunder.co.uk/addresstheharm

Hosted by: Leah Brown FRSA (@leahtalks_)
Production: Leah Talks Ltd © 2025

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