Latest news with #InfectedBloodInquiry
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Contaminated blood victims suffering further because of compensation delays, finds report
Ministers last year set up an £11.8billion fund but so far just £300million has been paid out COMPO DELAY INSULT Contaminated blood victims suffering further because of compensation delays, finds report Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CONTAMINATED blood victims are enduring further suffering because of compensation delays, a report has found. Sir Brian Langstaff — who last year called the NHS scandal the worst medical cover-up in British history — now says help for patients and their families has been 'profoundly unsatisfactory'. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up More than 30,000 people were infected with viruses such as HIV and hepatitis after clinics used high-risk blood donors in the 1970s and '80s. Ministers last year set up an £11.8billion fund but so far just £300million has been paid out. Campaigners estimate 100 people have died waiting since Sir Brian's 2024 report. Yesterday, Sir Brian, chair of the official Infected Blood Inquiry, blasted: 'I did not expect that the inquiry would have to issue a further report, because I hoped — indeed, expected — there would be no need for one.' He said: 'The UK Government has known for years that compensation was inevitable, and identified many who should have it. "But only 460 have so far received compensation and many more have not even been allowed to start the process.' He found the Infected Blood Compensation Authority set up its scheme without working directly with victims. And he added: 'For decades, people who suffered because of infected blood have not been listened to. "Once again, decisions are being made behind closed doors, leading to obvious injustice. 'It's not too late to get this right. 'Seismic' moment as infected blood scandal report is published "We are calling for compensation to be made faster and, more than that, fairer.' Richard Angell, of charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'Those impacted by this tragedy have endured unimaginable suffering.' Kate Burt, from the Haemophilia Society, added: 'This failure is exhausting, damaging and is stripping this community of its dignity.' The Government said: 'We are taking action to enable a quicker compensation process.'
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Contaminated blood victims suffering further because of compensation delays, finds report
CONTAMINATED blood victims are enduring further suffering because of compensation delays, a report has found. Sir Brian Langstaff — who last year called the NHS scandal the worst medical cover-up in British history — now says help for patients and their families has been 'profoundly unsatisfactory'. More than 30,000 people were infected with viruses such as HIV and hepatitis after clinics used high-risk blood donors in the 1970s and '80s. Ministers last year set up an £11.8billion fund but so far just £300million has been paid out. Campaigners estimate 100 people have died waiting since Sir Brian's 2024 report. Yesterday, Sir Brian, chair of the official Infected Blood Inquiry, blasted: 'I did not expect that the inquiry would have to issue a further report, because I hoped — indeed, expected — there would be no need for one.' He said: 'The UK Government has known for years that compensation was inevitable, and identified many who should have it. "But only 460 have so far received compensation and many more have not even been allowed to start the process.' He found the Infected Blood Compensation Authority set up its scheme without working directly with victims. And he added: 'For decades, people who suffered because of infected blood have not been listened to. "Once again, decisions are being made behind closed doors, leading to obvious injustice. 'It's not too late to get this right. 'Seismic' moment as infected blood scandal report is published "We are calling for compensation to be made faster and, more than that, fairer.' Richard Angell, of charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'Those impacted by this tragedy have endured unimaginable suffering.' Kate Burt, from the Haemophilia Society, added: 'This failure is exhausting, damaging and is stripping this community of its dignity.' The Government said: 'We are taking action to enable a quicker compensation process.'
ITV News
09-07-2025
- 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.
STV News
09-07-2025
- Health
- STV News
Infected blood scandal victims 'stripped of their dignity'
The Government's 'failure' to listen to victims of the infected blood scandal has been 'exposed' in a new report, campaigners have said. The Haemophilia Society said that victims of the scandal, dubbed the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, have been 'stripped of their dignity'. Campaigners said that around 100 infected people have died since the main report into the scandal was published last May, with people in the 'affected community' – including bereaved parents and partners – dying in even greater numbers. It comes as a report into the compensation for those infected and affected was published on Wednesday, following additional hearings of the Infected Blood Inquiry. Kate Burt, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: 'Government's failure to listen to those at the heart of the contaminated blood scandal has shamefully been exposed by the Infected Blood Inquiry yet again. 'This failure is exhausting, damaging and is stripping this community of its dignity. 'Now Government must take urgent action to put this right by valuing those impacted by this scandal through a fair and fast compensation settlement. 'Only then can the infected blood community move on from the past and finally focus on what remains of their future.' Andy Evans from the campaign group Tainted Blood, said: 'Since the inquiry published its final report on May 20 2024, we have been losing people at a rate of up to two a week, and that's been continuing since that time. 'And since we're now more than a year on, we are now talking about more than 100 people having died from the infected community alone, and more from the affected community who are ageing parents and partners.' He added: 'The concerns we had (about compensation) are valid and things need to be done about them. So I'm really pleased the inquiry has listened to us and made these recommendations. 'We hope the Government realises that we are not the enemy here, we can help them with this compensation scheme.' 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'. Gary Webster, a pupil who went to Lord Mayor Treloar College, a boarding school in Hampshire, from 1975 to 1983, welcomed the recommendation for an increase to the money paid for 'unethical research practices'. Mr Webster was one of several pupils who attended the school and was given treatment for haemophilia at an on-site NHS centre while receiving their education. It was later found that many pupils with the condition, which has no cure and impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, had been given blood products which were infected with hepatitis and HIV. 'I was very pleased with Sir Brian's additional report today,' he told the PA news agency. 'We are pleased with the recommendations made, especially the proposed uplift in unethical medical research; also that the whole process needs to be sped up as (we) don't have time to wait.' Rachel Halford, chief executive of the Hepatitis C trust, said: 'The people impacted by the infected blood scandal have been failed for 50 years; the Government's refusal to act swiftly and collaboratively in designing the infected blood compensation system failed them yet again. 'They have delayed every action and routinely ignored the voice of the community; as a result, we have a poorly designed compensation scheme that does not reflect the harm done to thousands of people affected.' She added: 'This report should never have been needed. 'But we hope today can mark a turning point in this terrible scandal.' Richard Angell, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, added: 'Those impacted by HIV as a result of this tragedy have endured unimaginable suffering – physically, mentally, and emotionally. 'Having borne the heaviest burden for the longest time, it is essential that their claims be prioritised. 'We work with one family whose young son died three decades ago because 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. 'Justice delayed is justice denied. We need faster and fairer progress and those who have been waiting the longest, experiencing Aids, early treatments and loss after loss, deserve to be prioritised.' Leigh Day partner Gene Matthews said: 'We hope the Cabinet Office and the Government accept those recommendations and take immediate steps to ensure the infected and affected communities are properly compensated for what happened to them. Des Collins, senior partner at Collins Solicitors and adviser to some 1,500 victims of the infected blood scandal, said: 'The Government has earmarked £11.8bn in funds for the infected blood community. 'We need the Government to work constructively now with the Inquiry and the victims to implement Sir Brian's recommendations without delay.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Powys County Times
09-07-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Compensation scheme for blood scandal ‘stripped victims of their dignity'
The Government's 'failure' to listen to victims of the infected blood scandal has been 'exposed' in a new report, campaigners have said. The Haemophilia Society said that victims of the scandal, dubbed the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, have been 'stripped of their dignity'. Campaigners said that around 100 infected people have died since the main report into the scandal was published last May, with people in the 'affected community' – including bereaved parents and partners – dying in even greater numbers. It comes as a report into the compensation for those infected and affected was published on Wednesday, following additional hearings of the Infected Blood Inquiry. Kate Burt, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: 'Government's failure to listen to those at the heart of the contaminated blood scandal has shamefully been exposed by the Infected Blood Inquiry yet again. 'This failure is exhausting, damaging and is stripping this community of its dignity. 'Now Government must take urgent action to put this right by valuing those impacted by this scandal through a fair and fast compensation settlement. 'Only then can the infected blood community move on from the past and finally focus on what remains of their future.' Andy Evans from the campaign group Tainted Blood, said: 'Since the inquiry published its final report on May 20 2024, we have been losing people at a rate of up to two a week, and that's been continuing since that time. 'And since we're now more than a year on, we are now talking about more than 100 people having died from the infected community alone, and more from the affected community who are ageing parents and partners.' He added: 'The concerns we had (about compensation) are valid and things need to be done about them. So I'm really pleased the inquiry has listened to us and made these recommendations. 'We hope the Government realises that we are not the enemy here, we can help them with this compensation scheme.' 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'. Gary Webster, a pupil who went to Lord Mayor Treloar College, a boarding school in Hampshire, from 1975 to 1983, welcomed the recommendation for an increase to the money paid for 'unethical research practices'. Mr Webster was one of several pupils who attended the school and was given treatment for haemophilia at an on-site NHS centre while receiving their education. It was later found that many pupils with the condition, which has no cure and impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, had been given blood products which were infected with hepatitis and HIV. 'I was very pleased with Sir Brian's additional report today,' he told the PA news agency. 'We are pleased with the recommendations made, especially the proposed uplift in unethical medical research; also that the whole process needs to be sped up as (we) don't have time to wait.' Rachel Halford, chief executive of the Hepatitis C trust, said: 'The people impacted by the infected blood scandal have been failed for 50 years; the Government's refusal to act swiftly and collaboratively in designing the infected blood compensation system failed them yet again. 'They have delayed every action and routinely ignored the voice of the community; as a result, we have a poorly designed compensation scheme that does not reflect the harm done to thousands of people affected.' She added: 'This report should never have been needed. 'But we hope today can mark a turning point in this terrible scandal.' Richard Angell, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, added: 'Those impacted by HIV as a result of this tragedy have endured unimaginable suffering – physically, mentally, and emotionally. 'Having borne the heaviest burden for the longest time, it is essential that their claims be prioritised. 'We work with one family whose young son died three decades ago because 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. 'Justice delayed is justice denied. We need faster and fairer progress and those who have been waiting the longest, experiencing Aids, early treatments and loss after loss, deserve to be prioritised.' Leigh Day partner Gene Matthews said: 'We hope the Cabinet Office and the Government accept those recommendations and take immediate steps to ensure the infected and affected communities are properly compensated for what happened to them. Des Collins, senior partner at Collins Solicitors and adviser to some 1,500 victims of the infected blood scandal, said: 'The Government has earmarked £11.8 billion in funds for the infected blood community. 'We need the Government to work constructively now with the Inquiry and the victims to implement Sir Brian's recommendations without delay.'
