Not being vegetarian, I’ve often felt uneasy as the BSE and CJD scandalshave unfolded, wondering what I might have eaten in the past.

But I’m lucky.

Imagine having to stick out your arm virtually every day to take aninjection that might be contaminated with CJD.

That’s just what haemophiliacs in London over the age of 16 have to do whengiving themselves Factor 8 blood clotting treatment.

The story hit the papers again last week because it has been confirmed thatseveral batches of Factor 8 have come from blood donated by a man who diedof variant CJD. These batches of Factor 8 went on to be used by a number ofhaemophiliacs.

Of course, the Labour government, just like the Tories before them over BSE,repeatedly states that there is no evidence that CJD can be transmittedthrough blood. Sound familiar? We’ve been here before. Remember the repeatedstatements that there was no evidence that humans could contract a humanform of BSE through the food chain? But it happened.

The simple truth is that we don’t know for sure what the risks are. Thescientists aren’t to blame – they are working hard to figure out how CJDworks, what causes it and what makes it spread.

But in the meantime, haemophiliacs are forced to treat themselves withmedicine that may in fact give them CJD. Faced with this dire situation,some haemophiliacs are simply refusing treatment, preferring to carry onbleeding rather than take such a horrifying risk.

These risks, though, do not need to be run. There is a safe, syntheticversion of Factor 8 available. It is given freely to every singlehaemophiliac in Scotland and Wales. In fact, even if you are Scottish orWelsh living in England you will get the safe version, but English adultscannot.

To receive the safe treatment in England, you have to be under 16 anduninfected by HIV or Hepatitis C which you would have already got throughearlier Factor 8. If you are older or you have already been infected witheither of those two diseases, you are not eligible for safe treatment. Theidea that because you’ve been infected with Hepatitis C it is ok to make yourun the risk of further infections is distasteful.

I first found out about this issue because a close relative of mine hashaemophilia. I have witnessed first hand the psychological torture of havingto have a treatment that though it may save you from bleeding, may also giveyou something far, far worse.

Of course the political problem is that there aren’t many haemophiliacs innumerical terms – so there’s not a lot of votes in this one. And we knowthat the Government only listens when it has a big gun to its head – thewelcome but partial climb-down last week on the proposed tube privatisationfor one.

But in the run up to a General Election, Governments, strangely enough,develop much better hearing. So I hope they are listening on this one. I’mdoing my best on the GLA to make them listen, but we need to put greaterpressure on the Department of Health. If you’d like to help make themlisten, please write to Lord Hunt, Department of Health, Richmond House, 79Whitehall, London, SW1A 2NS. I would be grateful for a copy of any repliesyou receive.

Lord Philips, who chaired the official inquiry into BSE, concluded that wemust make sure “precautionary measures can be taken to protect human healthin a situation of uncertainty.”

Well, the precautionary measures are available. They’re already in use inScotland and Wales and for children. Don’t adults in England deserve thesame?

(c) Lynne Featherstone, 2001