A Brent and Kilburn Times campaign calling for justice for victims of the contaminated blood scandal has been nominated for an award recognising the power of local newspapers to lobby for positive change.
Over the last year this newspaper has reported on the stories of local people who were infected with HIV and hepatitis C (hep C) in the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
They include father Bruce Norval, who was living off Shoot Up Hill in Kilburn in the 1990s when he discovered he had been infected with hep C during treatment for the blood disorder haemophilia.
The Times has backed calls for a fairer system of support for victims whose health has been ruined and for families of the 2,000 who have died.
Our campaign has been shortlisted for a Society of Editors Regional Press Award in the Making a Difference category.
We are encouraging readers to back us by voting in the online public poll, open from May 16 to 20.
Sue Threakall, of the campaign group Tainted Blood, said: “The dedication and compassion you have shown in coverage of the contaminated blood scandal has been outstanding, and truly has made a difference to the lives of victims who feel that they have a voice that allows their stories to be told.”
To vote for the Times, visit localnewspaperweek.co.uk/Making-a-Difference
Click on the frontpage ‘I want justice for my brothers’ to vote for Archant Investigations Unit: Contaminated Blood Scandal.
Voting closes at 5pm on Wednesday, May 18.
Archant is the Times’ parent company and coverage also ran across our sister titles in London, Kent, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
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