A doctor accused of misdiagnosing a patient who later became infected with Hepatitis C because of “treatment he did not need” defended her actions by saying “doctors are scientists, not almighty Gods”.

The medic, identified only as Dr Naik, wrote a statement that was read out to the an inquiry launched after thousands of patients were infected with HIV or Hepatitis after treatment with contaminated blood product Factor VIII in the 1970s and 80s.

She said she had acted following advice from Oxford Haemophilia Centre.

Stuart Mclean was given the blood products in 1978 when he was eight years old. But he did not learn he was infected with Hepatitis C until 2013, when he was 43 years old.

Mr Mclean told the Infected Blood Inquiry that he bruised easily as a child.

Dr Naik, a haematologist, believed he had the bleeding disorder von Willebrand Disease – where the blood does not clot easily – even though tests carried out at the Oxford Haemophilia Centre showed he had “completely normal” clotting levels.

He was treated with fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and Factor VIII, after a fall.

“I have no idea why she would treat me with all three products”, he told the inquiry.

Correspondence between doctors were shown to the inquiry in which they raised the prospect that Mr Mclean had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – which was later confirmed.

He said constant references were made to “frequent bleeds” that had never happened.

In 1985 Mr Mclean’s school wrote to his haematologist when he was 15 years old to ask if he had Aids because they believed he had haemophilia.

Mr Mclean said: “Thinking about it now, it makes me feel sick. That was my school.”

After discovering he had been infected with Hepatitis C Mr Mclean said he thought about taking his own life.

He said: “My world crashed, it destroys you. It absolutely destroys you.

“I stood on a bridge watching all the lorries below thinking about which one I wanted to jump in front of.”

He said only the thought of his grandchildren stopped him from jumping.

“They had all the evidence in front of them,” he added.

“They saw the jaundice all the way through the years,” he told the inquiry.

“They were aware. They had the evidence. I thought Hep C was for drugs addicts.

“I wanted to end it all. I felt worthless and dirty. It destroys you. For no reason. Why? It took everything in the world away from me.”

Mr Mclean was one of thousands of patients infected in the 1970s and 80s in what has been called the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.

He said he fears he might develop liver cancer but refuses to have any more treatment.

“I will never trust the NHS again. They have done too much damage,” he added.

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