The Treloar Trust, which runs Treloar’s School and College for disabled children, is facing High Court legal action over its role in unethical medical experiments that led to pupils being infected with HIV and hepatitis.
A group of 36 former pupils, who contracted life-threatening viruses through haemophilia treatments administered at the school in the 1970s and 80s, has launched a legal claim. The High Court will decide on Wednesday whether their group litigation order (GLO) can proceed, following years of legal battles.
The lawsuit was initially filed in January 2022 but was put on hold pending the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, which was published last year. The inquiry, led by Sir Brian Langstaff, found that pupils at Treloar’s were treated as “objects for research” rather than as children. An entire chapter of the report was dedicated to the school, located near Alton, Hampshire.
The infected blood scandal is one of the worst healthcare disasters in UK history, with over 30,000 people receiving contaminated blood products from the NHS, resulting in at least 3,000 deaths and thousands suffering lifelong health complications.
Between 1970 and 1987, 122 haemophiliac boys attended Treloar’s, with around 30 still alive today. The inquiry found that NHS doctors at the school deliberately experimented on pupils with contaminated blood products, knowing the risks of HIV and hepatitis C.
Victims of the scandal, including those infected at Treloar’s, are eligible for financial compensation through the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). The most severely affected individuals could receive up to £2.7 million, while victims of “unethical research” are set to receive £10,000, rising to £15,000 for those treated at Treloar’s.
However, Gary Webster, the lead claimant, who attended the school from 1975 to 1983 and was infected with hepatitis C and HIV, has called the compensation “insulting.” He and the group are pursuing legal action due to the way Treloar’s Trust has handled the inquiry’s findings and its refusal to acknowledge responsibility.
“I personally, and the group, believe that Treloar’s is partially responsible for this tragedy and should be held to account,” Webster told The Telegraph. “They’ve ignored us for years—no apology, no willingness to discuss it.”
Des Collins, the lawyer representing the claimants, stated that the case seeks justice, recognition, and compensation for the survivors and the boys who have since passed away. He estimates a 60% likelihood that Senior Master Jeremy Cook will approve the GLO, noting that there is no legal precedent for this case in the UK, except comparisons to Nazi medical experiments.
Webster echoed this sentiment, saying, “It reminds you of Mengele and the Nuremberg trials. It’s abuse.” Treloar’s has denied responsibility, arguing that NHS doctors were to blame and that financial compensation should come solely from the IBCA payouts. The Treloar Trust declined to comment.