Author Description

In the 1980's, Canada's blood collection and distribution system, once considered a model around the world, went off the rails. What occurred was a disastrous chain of events that still reverberates to this day for the thousands whose lives were changed forever by the system's failure. Vic Parsons examines the causes of what many have called the most significant public health issue in our country's history and outlines the failure of The Red Cross and the various levels of government implicated in what was a very preventable tragedy. The price of which cost taxpayers over $10 billion dollars, and many others their lives. This book also forms the backbone of an 8 part series being funded jointly by CBC Canada and Sundance TV that will air early 2019. This is not old wine in new bottles. The issue of blood collection and distribution continues to this day in Canada, the US, the UK and Australia. The public policy debates remain current as companies wishing to open pay-for-blood-services now operate in one province and are being blocked in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. The UK is re-opening hearings this fall into the tainted blood collection issue as successive governments have failed to deal with the aftermath. It remains one of the most topical health issues today.