Mandatory Tests Call After Doctor’s Death (Press, 19 November 1987)

Calls for mandatory AIDs testing for healthcare workers and the prohibition of H.I.V.-infected doctors arose following the death of Dr Frank Goodwin, a London kidney consultant who recently passed away from pneumonia related to the virus. The news of his A.I.D.S.-related death was not publicised until six weeks after his passing. This revelation provoked Conservative MPs to insist that patients should be notified of any doctor’s infection status, advocating for mandatory A.I.D.S. testing among health professionals. Labour's health spokesperson, Harriet Harman, echoed the call for compulsory notification to the Health Department when a doctor tests H.I.V. positive, emphasising the public's right to know about potential risks from their healthcare providers. Despite the public outcry, the Health Department maintained that patients need not be informed of a doctor's H.I.V. status if there was no perceived risk during treatment. Sir Donald Acheson, the Government’s chief medical officer, contended that since there had been no documented cases of H.I.V.-positive doctors transmitting the virus to patients, even in areas with higher A.I.D.S. prevalence than Britain, the risk was largely theoretical. Dr Goodwin had adhered to health regulations, having sought advice on his condition and ceased work in the renal unit to prevent any possibility of transmission. All his patients were upon testing found to be free of the virus. Critics questioned the actions taken by health authorities if they were indeed unconcerned about the implications of Dr Goodwin's condition. Harriet Harman expressed certainty that former patients of Dr Goodwin would be alarmed by the situation, stating that kidney patients face enough challenges without the added fear of A.I.D.S. Moreover, this incident coincided with pressing concerns surrounding haemophiliacs who contracted the virus through contaminated blood products. John Moore, the Secretary of State for Social Services, announced a £10 million disaster fund aimed at assisting the 1,200 affected haemophiliacs in dealing with insurance, heating, and laundry expenses. Among these, 21 individuals have developed full-blown A.I.D.S., with 45 fatalities reported thus far. However, criticism arose regarding the adequacy of the fund, with legal representatives for infected haemophiliacs alleging that the assistance amounted to only £8,333 per person, labelling the government’s response as insufficient. Such sentiments were expressed by Mr Graham Ross, who remarked on the inadequacy in comparison to the funds provided to other disaster victims, illustrating a disparity in state support for those affected by the virus.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand