Presentation by Counsel to the Inquiry About Treloar's, Gary Webster

The Infected Blood Inquiry 21 June 2021 1 Monday, 21 June 2021 1 two boys, both attending Treloar's, both infected with 2 (10.00 am) 2 HIV, both dead. 3 SIR BRIAN LANGSTAFF: Yes, Ms Richards. 3 And on Thursday, we will hear from the former 4 Presentation by Counsel to the Inquiry re 4 headmaster, Mr Macpherson. 5 Lord Mayor Treloar School and College 5 We won't, unfortunately, be able to hear from 6 MS RICHARDS: Good morning, sir. This week the spotlight 6 any of the key clinicians who provided treatment to 7 is on Treloar's, Lord Mayor Treloar School and 7 the boys at the school, Dr Rainsford, Dr Arblaster, 8 College, which, as is well known to all those 8 Dr Aronstam, Dr Wassef, all of them are now dead and 9 attending here, was the boarding school for children 9 so we will have to try to piece together from the 10 with physical disabilities, attended by significant 10 documents and from the memories of those who attended 11 numbers of boys with haemophilia in the 1970s and 11 as much as we can about what happened at the school. 12 1980s. And a school which, uniquely in the country, 12 Over the course of the week, through looking at 13 had its own Haemophilia Centre located, as at a date 13 the documents and through looking at the oral 14 in the 1970s, actually at the school. 14 testimony, we will be exploring in particular the 15 The majority of those children are, as is now 15 following issues and themes: the approach to 16 well known, now dead. Some of those who survive 16 treatment; what blood products were used and how and 17 attend today. 17 in what quantities; and what, if any, steps were taken 18 In the course of this week we will be looking at 18 to reduce or minimise the boys' exposure to multiple 19 what we can learn about Treloar's from the documents 19 donors, and that's an issue that I will start to look 20 and from the written statements the Inquiry has 20 at this morning. 21 received. We will hear directly during the course of 21 What, if any, information was provided to 22 the week from six surviving pupils and we have, of 22 parents or to the children about any of the risks 23 course, already heard powerful oral testimony from 23 associated with the use of blood products and the 24 pupils at earlier hearings. 24 overwhelming thrust of the evidence you will read and 25 We will, I hope, be hearing from the parent of 25 hear will be to the effect that little or, more 1 2 1 commonly, no such information was provided. 1 this week, and then there's a limited snapshot of 2 What was or ought to have been known about those 2 Dr Aronstam, three or four minutes of video footage, 3 risks at all material times by the clinicians working 3 talking in, I think, 1987 about the issue of 4 in the Centre at Treloar's. 4 compensation and, again, we'll show that in the course 5 How and when children or their parents were told 5 of the week. 6 that they had been infected with HIV and/or hepatitis. 6 So, sir, starting then with an overview of the 7 And then research and that will be a major theme 7 school. The Lord Mayor Treloar Cripples Hospital, as 8 which we'll look at later in the week by reference to 8 it was first called, the brainchild of 9 a range of documents: the extent to which research was 9 Sir William Treloar, a Lord Mayor of London, and it 10 being undertaken at the school, and whether that was, 10 opened in September 1908, with the first boys entering 11 in part, a driver for the treatment and the approach 11 the school in October 1908. 12 to treatment that was administered at the school. 12 At that time, the facilities essentially 13 What I'm going to do this morning, however, is 13 comprised two blocks of wooden buildings. The 14 start with an overview of the school, the Centre, the 14 hospital part of the buildings passed to the control 15 facilities, and in the course of the morning we'll 15 of the Ministry of Health in the late 1940s, while the 16 show a documentary or part of a documentary. It was 16 college remained independent and became known as Lord 17 one made in the late seventies, called Seventy Years 17 Mayor Treloar College. 18 On, and so it doesn't deal with the horrific, the 18 In 1953, the school located to Froyle. 19 tragic, consequences of what we now know happened. 19 And if we look at our first document, Soumik, 20 It's a moment in time which looks at the ethos of the 20 TREL0000517, please. This is a thesis from 21 school, the facilities, the services, and so on, but 21 Dr Aronstam, submitted as part of a master's degree, 22 to give you, sir, an idea of the school as at that 22 entitled Bleeding Episodes in Severely Affected 23 point in time. 23 Adolescent Haemophiliacs and Their Management with 24 There's a later documentary, Blood Brothers, 24 Replacement Therapy. 25 which we will also be showing in full in the course of 25 We'll come back to this document in the course 3 4 (1) Pages 1 - 4 The Infected Blood Inquiry 21 June 2021 1 of the week, but for present purposes -- if we go to 1 documentary that we will look at will capture some of 2 page 89, please, Soumik -- we can see a little bit of 2 that. 3 the history given here by Dr Aronstam under the 3 We can take that down, thank you, Soumik. 4 heading "The independent College". It says: 4 A school for girls was built at Holybourne, the 5 "When the hospital passed into the control of 5 Florence Treloar School for Girls. That opened in the 6 the Ministry of Health in 1947, the College remained 6 mid-1960s, and the two schools merged to become 7 independent under the control of the trustees and was 7 co-educational in 1978 and, at that point, we 8 then known as the Lord Mayor Treloar College. It 8 understand the upper school was based at Holybourne, 9 remained for six more years in its original buildings 9 called the Lord Mayor Treloar College, the lower 10 in the hospital grounds and then in 1953 moved from 10 school at Froyle, referred to as the Lord Mayor 11 the old wooden buildings at Alton to new premises in 11 Treloar School, both operated through the 12 nearby Froyle. The first term at Froyle began with 44 12 Treloar Trust. 13 boys -- one for each full year of the college's 13 Again, we can see a description of that from 14 previous existence. By 1954 there were 61 boys in the 14 HSOC0022908, please, Soumik. 15 College new buildings, which had planned to 15 This a Haemophilia Society Bulletin from 1981, 16 accommodate another 70 boys, were opened in 1956." 16 so it's later in time, but if we go to page 4, we can 17 Then we see this: 17 see an article beginning at the bottom of the middle 18 "The new larger intake in September of that year 18 column by Sister Turk, who was the haemophilia sister 19 included for the first time three haemophiliac 19 or nursing sister at Lord Mayor Treloar College, and 20 children." 20 I'll just read a little of what she says about the 21 So boys with haemophilia attending Treloar's, in 21 school's history and establishment: 22 small numbers to start with, from 1956 onwards. 22 "The role of the special school for 23 There are documents which describe the 23 haemophiliacs has always been a controversial subject, 24 facilities at Froyle as excellent, a swimming pool, 24 even more so since the widespread practice of home 25 a games room, spacious outdoor facilities, and the 25 therapy, which has enabled many haemophiliacs to 5 6 1 attend local schools with reduced loss of school 1 site and the original hospital school became known as 2 attendances. 2 Lord Mayor Treloar Hospital, now the Regional 3 "Nevertheless, there are still many more 3 Orthopaedic Centre for Wessex. The College then 4 haemophiliacs who have, for a variety of reasons, been 4 provided boarding school education for physically 5 deprived of a normal schooling. 5 handicapped boys from the age of 14 years. 6 "Treloar College provides medical and 6 "In 1950 ..." 7 educational facilities for handicapped children 7 So, again, we have slightly different dates in 8 including haemophiliacs and I am here to tell you of 8 different documents, but I don't think it matters for 9 the work done at the college and how this affects the 9 present purposes. 10 haemophiliacs in our care. 10 "... a sister school was built nearby on the 11 "Lord Mayor Treloar College was the brainchild 11 outskirts of the town for similarly affected girls." 12 of William Purdie Treloar, Lord Mayor of London at the 12 Then she goes on to say: 13 turn of the century. He was appalled at the suffering 13 "Over the years the types of handicaps have 14 of the crippled children in the poor areas of the city 14 changed -- originally the most crippling disease was 15 and used his influence to launch a national appeal to 15 tuberculosis and then poliomyelitis.

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