Victims of the tainted blood scandal should receive at least £100,000 compensation each “without delay”, the chairman of the inquiry into the matter has recommended.
With more than 4,000 surviving victims of the scandal, the compensation payout is expected to reach at least £400m.
The Contaminated Blood Inquiry was set up to look at the circumstances in which patients treated by the NHS in the 1970s and 1980s received contaminated blood and blood products. At least 2,400 people have died after contracting HIV or hepatitis C as a result of the blood products, and about 30,000 people have become seriously ill.
The inquiry also looked at the impact on their families, how the authorities responded and the care and support provided.
On Friday, Sir Brian Langstaff, the inquiry’s chairman, recommended the level of interim compensation payments.
He said: “I have to admit that the practical way to make payments quickly is to do it through the current infected blood support schemes. I have therefore decided to recommend that interim payments of no less than £100,000 be made to all infected people and to all bereaved partners currently registered with the schemes and those who register between now and the start of any future scheme. “
The recommendation comes after Boris Johnson was urged to immediately pay the interim sums to those affected before more of them die.
In an open letter this month signed by groups including the Haemophilia Society and the Terence Higgins Trust, which was personally delivered to the Prime Minister, the signatories said 419 people had died between July 2017, when the inquiry was announced, and February this year and that one infected person is reported to die every four days.
There are four infected blood schemes in the UK and people are eligible for support if they have been infected with hepatitis C or HIV from NHS blood or blood products, or if they are the spouse, civil partner or long-term partner of someone infected who has died .
Des Collins, senior partner at Collins Solicitors, who is representing some of the victims, said the compensation was “due for decades”.
Collins added: “We look forward to the day when all victims of this scandal are properly compensated for their suffering and those whose decisions led to the destruction of countless innocent lives are held accountable.”
Kate Burt, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: “The Government has ignored the urgent and compelling case for interim compensation payments for far too long. Today’s recommendations leave no room for doubt: many of those infected or bereaved are sick and dying and need compensation now.
A government spokesman said: “We recognize how important this will be for people infected and affected across the UK and can confirm that the government will consider Sir Brian’s report … with the utmost urgency and respond as soon as possible.” “
The inquiry, which began in 2018, is due to publish its final report in the middle of next year.
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