Infected blood scandal: Mum’s guilt over son’s HIV death

One of the key players in Wales was Prof Bloom, who was director of the Haemophilia Centre in Cardiff at the time, as well as chair of the UK haemophilia doctors’ organisation.

BBC Wales Investigates discovered internal NHS guidelines from May 1983 for the department Prof Bloom was in charge of that discouraged the use of imported blood treatments on children because of the risks of infection.

Prof Bloom has since died.

“We don’t know why Prof Bloom didn’t act on any of the warnings,” said Ms Kelly.

“Parents continued to inject children, [not] knowing there were risks.”

“Everyone thought [Prof Bloom] was a saint,” said Mrs White.

“You felt as if he was a friend, which is hard now.”

Mrs White later discovered a note in Martin’s medical records from 1983, which suggested that he was given the same batch of Factor 8 as Kevin Slater – the first haemophiliac patient in the UK to test HIV positive and die from Aids.