Infected blood scandal bereaved families offered £100,000 interim compensation

The bereaved families of those who died as a result of the infected blood scandal will be able to claim a £100,000 interim compensation, the Government has announced.

From October, the estates of the victims of the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, where their death has not yet been recognised, will be able to claim the interim payment.

Jason Evans, director of the Factor 8 campaign organisation, said: “Today’s announcement is a welcome step forward, honouring the commitments we were able to secure in the Victims & Prisoners Bill earlier this year.

“Bereaved families have waited far too long to see any compensation, with the Infected Blood Inquiry recommending these interim payments in April 2023.

“We will be encouraging the relevant authorities to ensure these payments are made as quickly as possible and do all we can to assist the Infected Blood Compensation Authority as it gears up to make final payments.”

In one of his final acts in office before announcing the General Election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a “wholehearted and unequivocal” apology to the victims of the infected blood scandal, saying that the publication of the report into the disaster was “a day of shame for the British state”.

The Infected Blood Inquiry identified a “catalogue of systemic, collective and individual failures” that amounted to a “calamity”.

More than 30,000 people were infected with deadly viruses between the 1970s and early 1990s as they received blood transfusions or blood products while receiving NHS care.

“At every level, the people and institutions in which we place our trust failed in the most harrowing and devastating way,” the Prime Minister said in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday.

“Layer and layer upon hurt, endured across decades, this is an apology from the state to every single person impacted by the scandal.

“It did not have to be this way. It should never have been this way.

“And on behalf of this and every government stretching back to the 1970s, I am truly sorry.”

He promised to pay “comprehensive compensation” to those affected and infected by the scandal.

“Whatever it costs to deliver this scheme, we will pay it,” Sunak said.

Ministers have earmarked around £10bn for a compensation package.

After a decades-long battle for justice, campaigners welcomed the probe’s recommendations but lamented the fact delays meant many of those responsible would never be held to account.

John McDougall’s son Euan died from Aids in 1994 after receiving contaminated blood during treatment at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow.

The final report was critical of decisions at Yorkhill that saw children with haemophilia receive plasma products sourced from paid donors in the United States, despite these being known to be high-risk.

“The report talks about the utter, utter unacceptability of the treatment of patients at Yorkhill. It can’t get much worse than that really, it’s hard to imagine a description that’s more damning,” said John.

“From what I’ve seen of the report so far today, I feel vindicated.

“Ten, 20 years ago, I would not have thought this day would arrive. To that extent, I’m really pleased that it’s here, that we’ve been able to come here and bring this chapter to its conclusion.

“On the other hand, the people I should be with are not here. My son died in this tragedy, my brother-in-law died in this tragedy and my wife (Kate) died as a consequence of this tragedy, so satisfied to be here but sadness to be alone.

“These were not mistakes, these were egregious, horrendous blunders that lasted year-after-year, decade-after-decade and they were based on a series of conscious decisions that people were making.”