A RUNCORN man who contracted hepatitis C after he was treated with infected blood by the NHS has been angered by the government’s refusal to hold an inquiry into errors that caused 2,000 deaths.

Michael Kenwright caught the virus 30 years ago after he was given an infected clotting factor during treatment for haemophilia.

He was one of around 5,000 people in the UK who contracted diseases including hepatitis and HIV due to the NHS using infected blood and blood products between 1970 and 1991.

The 66-year-old, from Norton, said: “There’s been a campaign for an inquiry going for 30 years through all the different political parties.

“We’ve seen documents that point to negligence – the government and the NHS knew that the products they were giving us were dangerous.

“They were warned not to use them and to destroy the stocks they already had, but they kept them and carried on using them.

“From that thousands of people got infected with hepatitis C – if they’d have took that advice and got rid of it there would be a lot of people who wouldn’t be walked around with hepatitis C now.”

A House of Commons debate on November 24 heard the case for an inquiry as well as changes to compensation for those affected – which Michael believes will leave sufferers out of pocket.

“They just don’t want to know – I’ve met with MPs and ministers and they all tell you they will have a look at it but they never do,” he added.

“Once you’ve walked walked out of the room they don’t want to know – they’re a law unto themselves.

“I don’t know what we can do as we seem to be up against a brick wall with them.

“They’ve been promising all sorts for 30 years now – there’s 2,000 dead and another 2,000 facing the same fate but they don’t care.”