A hospital trust has removed a bust of a haemophilia expert who is at the centre of the contaminated blood scandal.

The bust of the late Prof Arthur Bloom was removed from the haemophilia centre at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff after a campaign by families of some of those who were infected and requests from current patients.

Bloom, who died in 1992 aged 62, was one of the UK’s leading haematologists but his name has cropped up repeatedly during the infected blood inquiry.

During hearings in Cardiff last week, relatives of people infected said Bloom kept secret the risks of treating them with imported blood products. Some have claimed he was effectively experimenting on patients without them or their families knowing.

The parents of Colin Smith, who was diagnosed with HIV at the age of two and died aged seven, were among those leading the calls for the bust to be removed.

Colin’s mother, Jan Smith, from Newport in south Wales, said: “I really don’t think it was worthy of being there. A lot of damage has been done by Prof Bloom. Hopefully this will help people to move on a bit.”

In their evidence at the inquiry, Jan and Colin Smith Sr described their anger at how Bloom kept secret the risk of infection and how neighbours scrawled “Aids dead” on their house, forcing them to move.

Q&A What is the NHS infected blood scandal? Show Hide The infected blood inquiry will investigate how thousands of people with the blood-clotting disorder haemophilia were given blood products by the NHS which were contaminated with the HIV virus and hepatitis C. At least 4,689 British haemophiliacs are thought to have been treated with infected blood in the 1970s and 80s. So far, half have died. The inquiry will try to figure out the exact number of people who have been infected, examine the impact the infection had on people’s lives, investigate whether there was any attempts to conceal details of what happened, and identify any individual responsibilities as well as systemic failures.



At the end of their evidence, Jenni Richards QC, the counsel to the inquiry, wiped tears from her eyes. Sir Brian Langstaff, the inquiry’s chairman, described the couple’s testimony as “brutal”.

Smith said: “Prof Bloom is a central figure in this whole scandal. When our son was going there he was like a god to us. We thought he was an amazing man and Colin was in the best possible hands. To find out that the factor VIII [a clotting product created from blood] he was using was contaminated was a real big shock to everybody. It was devastating. We wanted the bust and his name gone from there.”

The infected blood inquiry has been set up to investigate how thousands of patients came to be infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products from America in the 1970s and 1980s. Witness hearings have taken place in London, Belfast, Leeds, Glasgow and Cardiff.

A lawyer for some of the families involved has claimed Bloom could have faced manslaughter charges over the deaths of patients if he was still alive.

Cardiff and Vale University health board said it was cooperating fully with the inquiry. It said the bust had been removed and it pointedly referred to the unit as the “haemophilia centre” rather than the “Arthur Bloom haemophilia centre” as it has long been known.

A spokesperson said: “We are committed to an open and transparent approach and have been working with [the charity] Haemophilia Wales to support patients and families who are involved in the inquiry.

“At the request of Haemophilia Wales and following feedback from patients, the UHB [health board] removed the bust of Prof Arthur Bloom from the haemophilia centre as to not cause any additional stress or upset to people visiting the centre.

“As with many other parts of the health service across the UK, we are seeking to understand the implications this has had and if any further changes are required to ensure we keep our patients safe.”

Andrew Evans, Chair of the campaign group TaintedBlood said: ‘The evidence heard in Cardiff was consistent and deeply distressing. It casts a very grave shadow over the role of Professor Bloom in his treatment of haemophiliacs under his care.

“We look forward to a thorough investigation of his work by the inquiry team, but in the meantime believe that out of respect for all those infected and affected in Wales, this move is both appropriate and compassionate. We thank Haemophilia Wales and the staff of Cardiff Haemophilia Centre for this welcome action.”

More inquiry hearings are scheduled for October.