Government unveils compensation scheme for blood scandal victims

The long-awaited Infected Blood Inquiry report, published on Monday, May 20, has laid bare the extent of the failures by doctors, NHS bodies, and successive governments in handling the infected blood scandal. Led by Sir Brian Langstaff, the report concluded that these institutions "repeatedly" failed the victims, resulting in a public health catastrophe.

Key Findings of the Inquiry's Final Report:

• The scandal could and should have largely been avoided, with victims being failed "not once but repeatedly" by doctors, the government, and other bodies including the NHS.
• Authorities covered up the scandal and exposed victims to "unacceptable risks."
• Those risks included not doing enough to stop importing blood products from abroad, such as from high-risk donors in the US where prisoners and drug addicts were paid to give blood.
• Blood donations were also continually sourced from high-risk populations in the UK, such as prisoners, until 1986.
• It took until the end of 1985 to heat-treat blood products to eliminate HIV despite the risks being known since 1982.
  More testing could have been done to reduce the risk of hepatitis C from the 1970s onwards.

In response, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to provide "whatever it takes" in compensation to those affected. On May 21 (today), the government is set to unveil its compensation plan, with ministers reportedly setting aside around £10 billion for the scheme.

Here's what we know so far about the compensation scheme, following Paymaster General John Glen's statement:

• The government expects the first final payments will be made before the end of 2024
• Further interim payments of £210,000 will be made within 90 days
• Those eligible for interim payments include living infected beneficiaries, people registered with existing support schemes, those who register with the support scheme before the final compensation scheme becomes operational, and the estates of those who pass away between now and when payments are made
• Those who have been infected or affected as a result of the scandal are eligible for the final compensation scheme. This includes people directly or indirectly infected by NHS blood, blood products, or tissue contaminated with HIV or hepatitis C, or those who have developed chronic infection from blood contaminated with hepatitis B
• Where an infected person has died, compensation will be paid to their estate
• A new arm's length body, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, has been set up by the government to administer the compensation scheme, with barrister Sir Robert Francis as interim chair.

The scandal, which dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, saw around 30,000 people contract either HIV or hepatitis through contaminated blood products. Tragically, approximately 3,000 victims have died as a result.

Paul Jewels from Braunton, who was featured in last week's Gazette, will share more of his story in the coming days, including his reaction to the report and his hopes for the future.