Latest news with #InfectedBloodCompensationAuthority
ITV News
3 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Government approach 'disgusting' as infected blood victims 'harmed further' by compensation delay
The family of two brothers from Strabane who died as a result of the infected blood scandal, says it is losing hope of ever receiving justice. Tony and Damian Conwell were haemophiliacs who both contracted HIV from contaminated blood products which were used to treat their bleeds. Their relatives were speaking out following the publication of a damming report critising the government for the slow pace of compensation. The government has insisted that it is not dragging its heels, saying that are "listening to victims". Tony and Damian's sisters Catherine Logue and Carmel Conwell said: "The government's just dragging it out, dragging it out, and it's unfair and it's disgusting. "We'll not get our brothers back. You know what I mean, they're buried not far from here, back to back, so no amount of money can ever bring them back." The new report said the compensation scheme for the infected blood scandal has 'perpetuated' the harm of victims with key decisions about the scheme made 'behind closed doors'. The Infected Blood Inquiry warned that there has been a 'repetition of the mistakes of the past' and that people have been 'harmed yet further' since the scheme was established. Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the probe, said that the number of people who have been compensated to date is 'profoundly unsatisfactory' as he called for 'faster and fairer' compensation for victims. The latest report of the inquiry concludes: There was a 'missed opportunity' to consult with people impacted by the scandal. There has been a 'repetition of mistakes in the past' in the way both the Conservative and Labour governments have responded. Trust in the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has been 'lost' by many members of the infected blood community. People impacted by the scandal have expressed a 'grave concern' over the delay in compensation and a 'lack' of clear timescales as to when it will be delivered. The report raises concerns about how the regulations underpinning the compensation authority have created a 'liability window' which mean people infected with HIV with contaminated blood or blood products before 1982 will not be compensated which is 'illogical and profoundly unjust'. The impacts of a hepatitis infection are not being 'fully recognised' in the compensation scheme, including the impact of early treatment for the virus which has been linked to severe side effects. Campaign group Tainted Blood has estimated that at least 100 people have died while waiting for compensation since the main report was published last year. Writing in the 210-page report, Sir Brian said: 'Trust has not yet been regained but instead has been further damaged and that people have been harmed yet further by the way in which they have been treated.' He said that he felt the need to hold special hearings of the inquiry earlier this year due to 'increasingly desperate' concerns raised to him about the compensation scheme, including some saying that decisions were being made 'behind closed doors'. Sir Brian added: 'Trust in government has only a tenuous hold; it was weakened further by the failures recounted here, to give people the dignity and the respect they deserve.' He went on in a statement: 'For decades people who suffered because of infected blood have not been listened to. 'Once again decisions have been made behind closed doors leading to obvious injustices. 'The UK Government has known for years that compensation for thousands of people was inevitable and had identified many of those who should have it – but only 460 have received compensation so far and many, many more have not even been allowed to begin the process. 'It is not too late to get this right. We are calling for compensation to be faster, and more than that, fairer. More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s. And more than 3,000 people have died as a result, and survivors are living with life-long health implications. The latest report into the scandal states that 'the impacts of infection with hepatitis are not being fully recognised (or applied) in the scheme as it stands'. It states: 'Anyone who has read the Inquiry Report of May 2024 will recognise that there has been a repetition of the mistakes of the past in the way in which government (both before and after the general election) has responded. 'The harm which all this has caused is evident in everything that has been said by people infected and affected.' It adds: 'Although efforts have rightly been made by IBCA to meet and communicate with people infected and affected, what is fundamentally lacking is a formal, significant and influential role for people infected or affected within IBCA. 'Such a lack of involvement both exacerbates mistrust in IBCA and perpetuates the harm which people have suffered over decades.' The Infected Blood Inquiry published its main report on the scandal in May last year, and a compensation scheme was announced a day later. But in the same week a general election was called and officials from the IBCA have described how in the early days of the organisation it consisted of two men, a laptop and a phone. Some £11.8 billion has been allocated to compensate victims, administered by the IBCA. As of July 1, some 2,043 people have been asked to make a claim, and 460 people have had their compensation paid totalling more than £326 million, according to IBCA figures. On Sunday, the Cabinet Office said that it will 'reduce the administration and process delays' victims are facing, meaning the IBCA will 'be able to deliver services quickly, and require different supporting information from claimants'. A Government spokesperson said: 'This additional report reflects the unprecedented nature of the Infected Blood Scandal and the thoroughness of the Inquiry's investigation. 'We are grateful to the Inquiry for its ongoing work. We will now consider all of its recommendations.
Spectator
3 days ago
- Health
- Spectator
The inquiry into infected blood is just the start
Infected blood victims have been ignored, inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff told survivors and their families at London's Westminster Chapel this afternoon. A new 200-page report into the scandal was published today, delivering a damning verdict on the actions – or lack thereof – of politicians in the rollout of the compensation scheme announced last year. Langstaff lamented today that delays to payouts have resulted in victims infected with contaminated blood products between the 1970s to 90s with HIV and hepatitis C being 'harmed further'. Today's report reveals the main failings of the compensation scheme include ministers not listening to victims, leading to 'obvious injustices' that could have been avoided, while compensation delays mean more people will die before they receive any kind of justice. 'Many of you were worried that the fight for justice might not have ended with the publication of the [infected blood scandal] inquiry reported over a year ago,' Langstaff remarked this afternoon. 'Yes, the government announced a compensation scheme and, yes, it is properly funded. But,' he paused, 'just as you feared, this is not the whole story.' While the latest figures from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) show that over 2,000 people have been asked to begin their claims, only 460 have been compensated in full and 'many, many more have not even been allowed to begin the process'. More than 3,000 people of the 30,000 given contaminated blood products have already passed away. Starmer's government has set aside £11.8bn for compensation and says it is slashing red tape in attempts to speed up payments, but Langstaff insists that mistakes are still being made. There are horrific stories of injustice that illustrate the flaws in the current compensation scheme. Currently victims have to be asked to apply for payouts, instead of simply putting forward their case themselves. This of course lengthens wait times and can have dire consequences: not only are direct victims of the scandal dying, delays have taken so long that now their families are too. Richard Angell, the chief of the Terrence Higgins Trust – which aims to end new HIV cases by 2030 – described the case of a family whose young son died thirty years ago of Aids-related illnesses caused by infected blood. 'His father now has dementia. It shouldn't be too much for him to receive compensation whilst he can still remember his son.' Meanwhile controversy has erupted over the compensation cut-off date. A mother explains her daughter was invited to claim a payment – before being turned away as she had been infected before 1982. Another patient told the report: 'It feels as if we are waiting to die, in limbo.' There have been plenty of recommendations put forward by the inquiry. Priority should be given to those who are seriously ill or older, while victims themselves should be able to apply for compensation rather than wait to be asked. The 1982 cut-off date should be pushed back, and extra payment should be awarded to those patients who found themselves victims of experimentation. And, of course, the inquiry chair has called for a more transparent system that better involves all those affected. Labour has so far been defensive on the issue, with Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds denying on Radio 4's Today programme that the government was 'dragging its heels', insisting he had been 'listening to the voice of victims'. This latest report comes just a day after the publication of the first report from the Post Office scandal. The devastating findings suggest that more than 13 people may have been driven to suicide by the Horizon IT scandal – while at least 59 more contemplated it over one of the UK's worst miscarriages of justice. These inquiries are only the start, however. The level of public anger at these devastating sagas is hard to overstate, and many parliamentarians across the house have constituents with firsthand experiences of these scandals. It is in the government's interests that the road to compensation is a short one – and this is not yet another case of dither and delay.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Failures in compensation scheme for infected blood laid bare in report
Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the probe, said that the number of people who have been compensated to date is 'profoundly unsatisfactory' as he called for 'faster and fairer' compensation for victims. The latest report of the inquiry concludes: – There was a 'missed opportunity' to consult with people impacted by the scandal. – There has been a 'repetition of mistakes in the past' in the way both the Conservative and Labour governments have responded. – Trust in the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has been 'lost' by many members of the infected blood community. – People impacted by the scandal have expressed a 'grave concern' over the delay in compensation and a 'lack' of clear timescales as to when it will be delivered. – The report raises concerns about how the regulations underpinning the compensation authority have created a 'liability window' which mean people infected with HIV with contaminated blood or blood products before 1982 will not be compensated which is 'illogical and profoundly unjust'. – The impacts of a hepatitis infection are not being 'fully recognised' in the compensation scheme, including the impact of early treatment for the virus which has been linked to severe side effects. The main report of the Infected Blood Inquiry was published in May 2024 (PA) Campaign group Tainted Blood has estimated that at least 100 people have died while waiting for compensation since the main report was published last year. Writing in the 210-page report, Sir Brian said: 'Trust has not yet been regained but instead has been further damaged and that people have been harmed yet further by the way in which they have been treated.' He said that he felt the need to hold special hearings of the inquiry earlier this year due to 'increasingly desperate' concerns raised to him about the compensation scheme, including some saying that decisions were being made 'behind closed doors'. Sir Brian added: 'Trust in government has only a tenuous hold; it was weakened further by the failures recounted here, to give people the dignity and the respect they deserve.' He went on in a statement: 'For decades people who suffered because of infected blood have not been listened to. 'Once again decisions have been made behind closed doors leading to obvious injustices. 'The UK Government has known for years that compensation for thousands of people was inevitable and had identified many of those who should have it – but only 460 have received compensation so far and many, many more have not even been allowed to begin the process. 'It is not too late to get this right. We are calling for compensation to be faster, and more than that, fairer.' Speaking to people impacted by the scandal at an event in central London, Sir Brian said that 'delay creates an injustice all of its own' as he highlighted 'injustices' in the compensation scheme. He described how one man spent his dying days applying for compensation but died before he received it. 'One man spent his last days applying for compensation but died before the process was complete. 'His family do not know when they will receive the recognition that should have been his. 'A mother in her 80s, whose two sons and husband were infected at the same hospital, died before she was even allowed to start the process. 'Many, many fear they will not live to see the recognition which compensation brings.' The report details how another victim described how 'it feels as if we are waiting to die, in limbo, unable to make any progress in our lives'. The Inquiry's Additional Report on Compensation is now published on the Inquiry website. Access the Report here: — Infected Blood Inquiry (@bloodinquiry) July 9, 2025 He described how victims of the scandal told him how the compensation scheme had left them feeling 'desperate and powerless'. Sir Brian highlighted how his first report on compensation was published in 2023 yet some affected people have been told that they may not receive compensation until 2029. He said that it was 'inexplicable' and 'unthinkable' for the compensation scheme to be devised without input from the infected blood community. Sir Brian said that 'time is not on anyone's side' as he made a series of recommendations to improve the compensation scheme. More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s. And more than 3,000 people have died as a result, and survivors are living with life-long health implications. The latest report into the scandal states that 'the impacts of infection with hepatitis are not being fully recognised (or applied) in the scheme as it stands'. Glenn Wilkinson, from the Contaminated Blood Campaign, told the PA news agency: 'It's not about the speed of compensation, it's about the adequacy of compensation. 'What's the point in delivering a compensation scheme quickly if it's going to fail the majority of people? 'As it stands, those in the hepatitis C community are going to be compensated at the very least 50% less compared to those with HIV when the death toll within the hepatitis C community is far greater than that of the HIV community. There's no justice to this.' He said that people with hepatitis C feel forced to stay on support schemes as a result of the current compensation scheme which mean they are 'effectively tied to our abuser for the rest of our lives'. The latest report states: 'Anyone who has read the Inquiry Report of May 2024 will recognise that there has been a repetition of the mistakes of the past in the way in which government (both before and after the general election) has responded. 'The harm which all this has caused is evident in everything that has been said by people infected and affected.' It adds: 'Although efforts have rightly been made by IBCA to meet and communicate with people infected and affected, what is fundamentally lacking is a formal, significant and influential role for people infected or affected within IBCA. 'Such a lack of involvement both exacerbates mistrust in IBCA and perpetuates the harm which people have suffered over decades.' The Infected Blood Inquiry published its main report on the scandal in May last year, and a compensation scheme was announced a day later. But in the same week a general election was called and officials from the IBCA have described how in the early days of the organisation it consisted of two men, a laptop and a phone. We've published our latest compensation figures today – these are accurate as of 1 July 2025. We will continue to publish updated figures every two weeks. Click the link to see the latest figures: — Infected Blood Compensation Authority (@IBCA_UK) July 3, 2025 Some £11.8 billion has been allocated to compensate victims, administered by the IBCA. As of July 1, some 2,043 people have been asked to make a claim, and 460 people have had their compensation paid totalling more than £326 million, according to IBCA figures. On Sunday, the Cabinet Office said that it will 'reduce the administration and process delays' victims are facing, meaning the IBCA will 'be able to deliver services quickly, and require different supporting information from claimants'. A Government spokesperson said: 'This additional report reflects the unprecedented nature of the Infected Blood Scandal and the thoroughness of the Inquiry's investigation. 'We are grateful to the Inquiry for its ongoing work. We will now consider all of its recommendations. 'Over £300 million has been paid to victims since the compensation scheme opened last October and we are taking action to enable a quicker compensation process.'
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Failures in compensation scheme for infected blood laid bare in new report
Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the probe, said that the number of people who have been compensated to date is 'profoundly unsatisfactory' as he called for 'faster and fairer' compensation for victims. The latest report of the inquiry concludes: – There was a 'missed opportunity' to consult with people impacted by the scandal. – There has been a 'repetition of mistakes in the past' in the way both the Conservative and Labour governments have responded. – Trust in the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has been 'lost' by many members of the infected blood community. – People impacted by the scandal have expressed a 'grave concern' over the delay in compensation and a 'lack' of clear timescales as to when it will be delivered. – The report raises concerns about how the regulations underpinning the compensation authority have created a 'liability window' which mean people infected with HIV with contaminated blood or blood products before 1982 will not be compensated which is 'illogical and profoundly unjust'. – The impacts of a hepatitis infection are not being 'fully recognised' in the compensation scheme, including the impact of early treatment for the virus which has been linked to severe side effects. The main report of the Infected Blood Inquiry was published in May 2024 (PA) Campaign group Tainted Blood has estimated that at least 100 people have died while waiting for compensation since the main report was published last year. Writing in the 210-page report, Sir Brian said: 'Trust has not yet been regained but instead has been further damaged and that people have been harmed yet further by the way in which they have been treated.' He said that he felt the need to hold special hearings of the inquiry earlier this year due to 'increasingly desperate' concerns raised to him about the compensation scheme, including some saying that decisions were being made 'behind closed doors'. Sir Brian added: 'Trust in government has only a tenuous hold; it was weakened further by the failures recounted here, to give people the dignity and the respect they deserve.' He went on in a statement: 'For decades people who suffered because of infected blood have not been listened to. 'Once again decisions have been made behind closed doors leading to obvious injustices. 'The UK government has known for years that compensation for thousands of people was inevitable and had identified many of those who should have it – but only 460 have received compensation so far and many, many more have not even been allowed to begin the process. 'It is not too late to get this right. We are calling for compensation to be faster, and more than that, fairer.' More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s. And more than 3,000 people have died as a result, and survivors are living with life-long health implications. The latest report into the scandal states that 'the impacts of infection with hepatitis are not being fully recognised (or applied) in the scheme as it stands'. Glenn Wilkinson, from the Contaminated Blood Campaign, told the PA news agency: 'It's not about the speed of compensation, it's about the adequacy of compensation. 'What's the point in delivering a compensation scheme quickly if it's going to fail the majority of people? 'As it stands, those in the hepatitis C community are going to be compensated at the very least 50% less compared to those with HIV when the death toll within the hepatitis C community is far greater than that of the HIV community. There's no justice to this.' He said that people with hepatitis C feel forced to stay on support schemes as a result of the current compensation scheme which mean they are 'effectively tied to our abuser for the rest of our lives'. The latest report states: 'Anyone who has read the Inquiry Report of May 2024 will recognise that there has been a repetition of the mistakes of the past in the way in which government (both before and after the general election) has responded. 'The harm which all this has caused is evident in everything that has been said by people infected and affected.' It adds: 'Although efforts have rightly been made by IBCA to meet and communicate with people infected and affected, what is fundamentally lacking is a formal, significant and influential role for people infected or affected within IBCA. 'Such a lack of involvement both exacerbates mistrust in IBCA and perpetuates the harm which people have suffered over decades.' The Infected Blood Inquiry published its main report on the scandal in May last year, and a compensation scheme was announced a day later. But in the same week a general election was called and officials from the IBCA have described how in the early days of the organisation it consisted of two men, a laptop and a phone. We've published our latest compensation figures today – these are accurate as of 1 July 2025. We will continue to publish updated figures every two weeks. Click the link to see the latest figures: — Infected Blood Compensation Authority (@IBCA_UK) July 3, 2025 Some £11.8 billion has been allocated to compensate victims, administered by the IBCA. As of July 1, some 2,043 people have been asked to make a claim, and 460 people have had their compensation paid totalling more than £326 million, according to IBCA figures. On Sunday, the Cabinet Office said that it will 'reduce the administration and process delays' victims are facing, meaning the IBCA will 'be able to deliver services quickly, and require different supporting information from claimants'.
Leader Live
24-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Infected blood victims ‘left in dark' over compensation, Andy Burnham warns
The Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, who served as health secretary under Gordon Brown, also called for criminal investigations into the scandal. The Infected Blood Inquiry, which published its seminal report a year ago, concluded the scandal 'could largely have been avoided' and there was a 'pervasive' cover-up to hide the truth. More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s. And more than 3,000 people have died as a result while survivors are living with lifelong health implications. A compensation scheme was announced the day after the report was published. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Week In Westminster programme, Mr Burnham said it 'pains me' to hear victims are still without compensation a year after the scheme was launched. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has said, as of May 6, 106 compensation payments have been made, totalling more than £96 million. Mr Burnham, who has campaigned on behalf of victims, added: 'We thought, didn't we, after the public inquiry reported that the whole of the British state would say, 'right, now we put things right, and we do it quickly'. 'Firstly, there's just the delays and they're left in the dark, and so many people just left waiting. There's the randomness of it.' Compensation awards appear to be made via a 'lottery' the mayor claimed, insisting they should instead be given out 'on the basis of people's need and the level of their condition'. Mr Burnham added: 'It's just wrong that people have been dying weekly ever since the public inquiry reported without any compensation at all. How does anybody in Whitehall justify that?' The former health secretary stood by previous comments in which he said he believed there had been a criminal cover-up behind the scandal. 'This is a systematic cover-up all the way through the system that went on for decades under all governments,' he said. Mr Burnham added: 'It has got to be the case that alongside the compensation, there has to be criminal investigation. 'Because I know as secretary of state, I was given untrue briefings that contained that line – that nobody was supposedly knowingly given unsafe blood – but the warnings had been given to the Department of Health, many, many years before.'
