ITV says work is underway on The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School (working title), a documentary film revealing the "devastating truth" behind the contaminated blood scandal of the 1970s and 1980s.
The scandal saw over 30,000 people infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products and blood transfusions. This negligence and the subsequent cover-up became known as the worst medical disaster in NHS history.
However, the film will centre on the personal stories of the haemophiliac children at the Lord Mayor Treloar School in Hampshire, who were sent to the specialist boarding school with the promise of a "normal childhood".
Only a handful of them are still alive today and some of them will share their stories in what promises to be an emotional documentary.
"This film will show the devastating effect first hand of a lifetime spent unearthing what happened to our survivors when they were just children," said Anna Hall, Executive Producer Candour Productions in an ITV statement. "We are so humbled to have worked with the four men in this film who wanted to make this in honour of their school friends who died, so that the truth would finally be told.”
Here's everything we know about The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School...
The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School release date
ITV has confirmed the film will be on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player later in 2025. When we have a precise release date, we'll be sure to let you know.
What is The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School about?
The film shares the personal stories of the haemophiliac children at the Lord Mayor Treloar School in Hampshire, who were sent to the specialist boarding school with the promise of a "normal childhood" but instead became victims of "secret medical research" which left many of them with Hepatitis and HIV.
The ITV documentary will also follow the journey of the few remaining survivors as they fight for truth and justice.
An ITV statement explains: "The 24 hour care on offer at Treloar’s should have given hemophiliacs the chance at a normal childhood and school life, where previously they had been restricted by the physical risks of their condition. In the late 1970s an NHS hemophiliac unit was opened at the school, which meant the boys could rapidly receive a revolutionary treatment — Factor Eight — on site.
"The pupils and their parents thought Factor Concentrates were a miracle cure when, in fact, they were a death sentence for many and led to the co-infection of around 1,250 people with bleeding disorders with HIV and Hepatitis C, and another 2,400 to 5,000 people developing Hepatitis C on its own.
"Of the 122 haemophiliacs who attended Treloar’s in the 1970s and 1980s, only around 30 are still alive today. This documentary shares the deeply personal testimonies of these survivors, now men in their 50s, who have spent decades fighting for truth and justice. The film follows their journey leading up to the final report of the public inquiry, where they hope for long-awaited recognition of the truth.
"This powerful film unearths the human story within this national scandal, revealing the secret clinical trials, medical negligence, and government cover-up that had such a devastating impact on the lives of these young boys. It is a story of resilience, a fight for justice, and an untold chapter in the worst medical disaster in NHS history."
