Awareness of the Infected Blood Scandal
The majority of UK adults have heard of the Infected Blood Scandal
Most of our respondents (79%) said that they had heard of the Infected Blood Scandal, while 21% said that they know either a lot or a fair amount about the scandal.
In line with what we found about other scandals, we found that the older people are, the more likely they are to have heard of the Infected Blood Scandal. Of those aged over 45, 89% had heard of the Infected Blood Scandal (up from 79% for all respondents), while only 66% of those under 45 had heard of the scandal.
Familiarity with the Infected Blood Scandal is lower compared to other scandals
People know more about Grenfell and the British Post Office Scandal than the Infected Blood Scandal. More than half knew a lot / a fair amount about Grenfell (61%) and the Post Office (55%), compared to 21% who knew a lot or a fair amount about the Infected Blood Scandal.
Before this survey, how much, if anything, did you know about the Infected Blood Scandal?| Awareness Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A lot | 3% |
| A fair amount | 18% |
| A little | 36% |
| Heard about | 22% |
| Never heard of | 17% |
This table shows awareness levels of the infected blood scandal: 3% know a lot, 18% know a fair amount, 36% know a little, 22% have heard about it, and 17% have never heard of it.
While most have heard of it, few feel they know a lot about the Infected Blood Scandal. A little more than one in five (21%) know a lot/a fair amount, and just under a fifth (17%) say they have never heard of the scandal.
Before this survey, how much, if anything, did you know about the following?| A lot / a fair amount | A little / heard about | Never heard of | % Net: Heard of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infected Blood Scandal | 21% | 58% | 17% | 79% |
| Grenfell Tower Fire | 61% | 35% | 4% | 95% |
| British Post Office Scandal | 55% | 35% | 9% | 90% |
This table compares awareness levels across three scandals. The Infected Blood Scandal has 21% knowing a lot or a fair amount, 58% knowing a little or having heard about it, 17% never heard of it, with 79% total awareness. Grenfell Tower Fire has 61% knowing a lot or a fair amount, 35% knowing a little or having heard about it, 4% never heard of it, with 95% total awareness. The British Post Office Scandal has 55% knowing a lot or a fair amount, 35% knowing a little or having heard about it, 9% never heard of it, with 90% total awareness.
Have you heard others talking about the Infected Blood Scandal or seen it talked about in news/social media recently?| Age | Yes | No | Prefer not to say |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | 37% | 60% | 3% |
| 18 - 34 | 30% | 67% | 3% |
| 35 - 54 | 35% | 62% | 3% |
| 55+ | 43% | 53% | 4% |
This table shows by age group whether people have heard others talking about the Infected Blood Scandal or seen it discussed in news or social media recently. For all ages, 37% said yes, 60% said no, and 3% preferred not to say. Among 18-34 year olds, 30% said yes, 67% said no, and 3% preferred not to say. Among 35-54 year olds, 35% said yes, 62% said no, and 3% preferred not to say. Among those 55+, 43% said yes, 53% said no, and 4% preferred not to say.
Can you describe what you saw, heard or read?| Response Category | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Net: Specifics about the Infected Blood Scandal | 44% |
| How people were impacted (HIV, Hepatitis) | 16% |
| People were given transfusions | 14% |
| Number of people impacted | 6% |
| Interviews with people who have been impacted | 5% |
| When the scandal took place | 5% |
| Net: Compensation scheme | 30% |
| Delays / waiting a long time for settlement | 15% |
| Being set up | 8% |
| Evading responsibility / fight for compensation | 6% |
This table shows categorized responses describing what people saw, heard or read about the Infected Blood Scandal. 84% mentioned specifics about the scandal, including 16% describing how people were impacted by HIV or Hepatitis, 14% mentioning blood transfusions, 6% discussing the number of people impacted, 5% referencing interviews with impacted individuals, and 5% noting when the scandal took place. 30% mentioned the compensation scheme, including 15% discussing delays in settlement, 8% mentioning it being set up, and 6% referring to evading responsibility or the fight for compensation.
Comments from respondents included:
- "Innocent people infected with HIV virus by blood transfusions. Haemophilic children given transfusions of infected blood. Blood imported from other countries without screening."
- "That Hep C and HIV was not screened properly thus infecting innocent people."
- "On the news I heard that in the 80s and 90s some young haemophiliacs were given blood contaminated with HIV."
- "News headline about compensation taking too long."
- "BBC news frequently report on it. Interviewing victims and/or relatives who are still waiting for compensation…"
- "It was in the papers that the people affected were still waiting for compensation and many would die before there were any payouts."