- 09 July 2019
- 5 min read
Woman given 'death sentence' from HIV-infected kidney transplant
A woman died after contracting HIV from a kidney donor who had received an infected blood transfusion, an inquiry has heard.

An organ donor who was infected with HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion after a fatal crash passed on the virus to all the recipients of his donated kidneys, heart and liver.
The tearful widower of one woman who died from HIV contracted through a donated kidney told the Infected Blood Inquiry how she "went in for a lifesaving operation, and came out with a death sentence".
Read more
• Woman given infected blood after miscarriage, inquiry hears
• Contaminated blood victims' medical records destroyed, inquiry told
• Infected blood scandal 'could have killed more than Northern Ireland troubles'
The donor, a 23-year-old man who suffered fatal head injuries in a 1984 crash, received 15 units of blood in an attempt to save his life - one of which was infected by HIV.
When his organs - two kidneys, heart and liver - were donated after his death, the HIV was passed on to each of the unaware recipients, at least two of whom are known to have died as a result.
Like this article? Subscribe to The Nurses Weekly!

Through tears, the husband of a woman who died in her early thirties, having received the right kidney from the unknowingly infected man, told the inquiry in Edinburgh how she was terrified that she may have passed it on to him.
His late wife had been on the kidney transplant waiting list since she was a teenager, having suffered from chronic renal failure for 13 years when they received a call to say that a match had been found.
Read more
• Blood scandal inquiry 'frightened of no-one', former judge says
• Retired NHS manager 'made to feel like a leper' after contracting hepatitis C
They "jumped in the car and drove all the way down to Manchester" and the widower, who was granted anonymity, explained how the couple thought they would be able to "get on with life" after the operation, free from the dialysis she had been dependent upon.
Following the operation, the witness said: "She was absolutely brilliant, it was a fantastic success and you've really got to thank the health service for what they have done - that was just brilliant."
"We've heard some very disturbing tales in this inquiry. I think few, if any, can be quite as cruel as the sufferer as the story of what happened to your wife. She went in for lifesaving treatment and came out with a death sentence." - Sir Brian Langstaff, Infected Blood Inquiry chair
The inquiry also heard how, at every appointment, the first thing doctors did was to warn the couple not to tell anyone about the HIV diagnosis, using the stigma associated with the condition as the key reason to keep it a secret.

It was only once the woman admitted she had told her close family - who feared she had cancer - that the "upset" doctor revealed that she had contracted HIV from the transplanted kidney.
Criticising the NHS of the 1980s for its "very complacent" treatment of HIV patients, he said that Government adverts about HIV and Aids featuring tombstones left his wife distraught and unable to watch TV because of the "constant reminders".
He added: "If tears were made of ink, then I could write a book about the wonderful person who was so cruelly taken from me all those years ago.
"Since then, I have often thought about why this terrible disease was ever allowed to infect the thousands of people that it did, as well as the many thousands of relatives and carers who were badly affected by these events."
Before the evidence session concluded with a standing ovation from the approximately 50-strong group of other victims, campaigners and supporters watching the proceedings, inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff praised the witness for his moving testimony.

Sir Brian said: "I'm not going to ask any questions but just pick up on the word that you used at the end which described that your wife was 'cruelly' taken.
"We've heard some very disturbing tales in this inquiry. I think few, if any, can be quite as cruel to the sufferer as the story of what happened to your wife.
"She went in for lifesaving treatment and came out with a death sentence, as you put it.
"It has not been easy for you to tell us, but I think everyone listening will understand how important it was that you did, so thank you."
Nurses.co.uk editorial team
About the author
Nurses.co.uk editorial team
Bringing you a daily update of nursing, NHS, health and social care news from around the UK.
Want to get involved in the discussion
Sign In JoinRead something else
Covid-19 Didn’t Bring Retired Nurses Back – But It Is Highlighting A Deeper Problem
NHS England has revealed only 1,007 former nurses out of 71,000 returned to work last summer while Covid-sickness absence left hospitals with a net drop of 3,694 full-time nurses.
A Day In The Life Of A Student Nurse During The Pandemic
Student Nurse, Kyle, gives an insight into Student Nursing during the pandemic with a video diary outlining coursework, working from home and student cuisine.
What Band 5 Salary Nurses Get Paid In 2021 – And What You’ll Do To Earn It
The New Pay Deal for the NHS was signed in 2018 and ensured a minimum pay increase for all nurses at all bandings over the subsequent three years. Here’s what it means for Band 5 nurses.
Latest Jobs
Bank Endoscopy Nurse
Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
Spire Healthcare
Deputy Ward Manager
Maidstone, Kent, England
Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Registered Nurse
Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
Appoint Healthcare
Surgical Ward - Staff Nurse
London, Greater London, England
Jarrodean Healthcare Recruitment
Staff Nurse-Surge Ward
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Staff Nurse
London, Greater London, England
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
See all of our RGN jobs
5528 jobs currently available