Latest news with #TaintedBlood
Sky News
20-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Politics latest: Keir Starmer says sorry for being 'overly rude' at PMQs
Victims of infected blood scandal call for 'suffering not to be dragged out further' Victims of the infected blood scandal have said they "are still waiting for justice" on the first anniversary of a seminal report into the disaster. They have challenged the PM to give assurances that victims' "suffering will not be dragged out further". What was the infected blood scandal? 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 around one in ten - more than 3,000 people - have died as a result, while survivors are living with lifelong health implications. The Infected Blood Inquiry concluded the scandal 'could largely have been avoided' and there was a 'pervasive' cover-up to hide the truth. A compensation scheme was announced the day after the report, which was published last year. In a letter hand-delivered to Number 10 this morning, the campaigners said: "The physical and emotional burden of this continual fight for fair compensation is falling with ever greater weight on the shoulders of those who have already had to campaign for too long. "We look to the government now for recognition of the anxiety and stress the last 12 months of uncertainty have caused and for an assurance that this suffering will not be dragged out further." The letter has been co-signed by officials from the Haemophilia Society, Tainted Blood, Haemophilia Wales, Haemophilia Northern Ireland and Tainted Blood – Affected Siblings And Children. According to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, 106 compensation payments totalling more than £96m have been made as of 6 May. The letter adds: "The victims we work with – everyone with HIV – should not be burdened with further bureaucratic hurdles – such as having to prove diagnoses like 'full-blown AIDS' – nearly two decades of HIV without treatment should speak for itself. "Their claims are among the most straightforward and should be prioritised accordingly." Nick Thomas-Symonds, the cabinet office minister, said: "We are acting on the inquiry's 12 recommendations, so that this never happens again, and to get justice for victims. "While no amount of compensation will make up for the suffering people have endured, we are committed to delivering compensation as swiftly as possible."
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
We will have justice – infected blood victims speak out as inquiry reopens
People given infected blood and blood products in one of the worst treatment disasters in NHS history have said they will 'have justice' as hearings reopened into the scandal. Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the Infected Blood Inquiry, is holding two days of special hearings to examine the 'timeliness and adequacy of the Government's response to compensation'. Campaigners have voiced concerns surrounding the compensation scheme, which was announced last year, with some victims saying they fear they will not live to receive their payout. Groups representing people infected and affected by the scandal and people infected themselves are giving evidence on Wednesday morning. Andrew Evans, from the campaign group Tainted Blood and who was infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products during treatment for haemophilia as a child, said: 'We have around 2,100 members, all of whom are in a desperate state at the moment since the announcement of the Government's compensation package and things that have unfolded since.' Nigel Hamilton, chairman of Haemophilia Northern Ireland, said: 'I started off as a haemophiliac from birth. I had a liver transplant as a result of hepatitis C in 2018. 'I lost a twin brother Christmas day just over a year ago and I have several cousins I have also lost within the family. 'I believe in justice. I believe we have to be here today, thanks to the public inquiry and Sir Brian to ensure that we get the opportunity to repeat that we need justice. 'We are entitled to justice and we will have justice.' Alan Burgess, a campaigner who was co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C while receiving treatment for haemophilia, said: 'I can't believe we are back here today.' When asked about the quality of engagement from the Cabinet Office and the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), Mr Burgess said: 'I'd like to say that they engaged with us, but they didn't. 'They talked down to us. They were condescending. They had a scripted answer for everything we had. 'To be honest with you, it's almost a waste of time being there. You know, they weren't going to take any notice of what we said.' Mr Burgess said he told IBCA and the Cabinet Office that the mental states of the infected and affected were 'shocking' and it was 'disgraceful, immoral, scandalous, contemptible' for them to in discussions about compensation after 12 months. He also told the hearing victims were dying while the process was ongoing, with one of his friends dying just weeks ago. 'There's people dying without seeing this compensation paid. I didn't expect any sympathy, but we didn't even get any empathy,' Mr Burgess said. 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. Some 3,000 people died as a result and survivors are living with lifelong health implications. Campaigner Carolyn Challis, known as Caz, was infected with hepatitis C when she received blood transfusions during chemotherapy treatment for lymphatic cancer between 1992 and 1993. The mother-of-three from North Devon said: 'We feel gaslit, marginalised and abused by successive governments that purport to care, but evidently do not. 'We're suffering from sustained trauma. We should not still be fighting.' Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has been called to give evidence on Wednesday afternoon while Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) officials will be quizzed by inquiry lawyers on Thursday. In her October budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves allocated £11.8 billion to compensate victims, administered by the IBCA. As of April 24, some 475 people have been invited to make a claim and 77 payments have been made totalling more than £78 million, according to IBCA figures. Opening the hearing, Sir Brian said: 'The decision to hold these further hearings was not taken lightly. 'It is no secret that the Inquiry has received letter after letter, email after email, call after call expressing worries and concerns about how compensation is being delivered. 'The slowness and uncertainty about when someone might expect to receive compensation are central kernels. They are not however the only ones. These matters need to be explored in public.' He added: 'The Inquiry will do everything in its power to identify action that can be taken by the Government and by the infected blood in compensation authority to improve the delivery of compensation and to ensure that justice is done. Sir Brian said that the number of those infected and affected who were in attendance at the hearings 'demonstrate that the complaints, worries, distress and frustrations that have been expressed to us are not just those of an outspoken few'.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Inquiry hears of ‘anguish' over compensation for infected blood victims
People given infected blood and blood products in one of the worst treatment disasters in NHS history have described 'anguish' felt while waiting for compensation. The Infected Blood Inquiry has heard that many victims fear they will not live to receive compensation, with people affected by the scandal saying they feel 'betrayed and disappointed'. But campaigners insisted that they will 'have justice' as hearings reopened into the scandal. Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the Infected Blood Inquiry, is holding two days of special hearings to examine the 'timeliness and adequacy of the Government's response to compensation'. The Infected Blood Inquiry will hold hearings in May. Follow this link to find out more: — Infected Blood Inquiry (@bloodinquiry) April 9, 2025 Opening the hearing, Sir Brian said that the number of those infected and affected who were in attendance at the hearing in central London – thought to be around 300 – 'demonstrate that the complaints, worries, distress and frustrations that have been expressed to us are not just those of an outspoken few'. ADVERTISEMENT 'The Inquiry will do everything in its power to identify action that can be taken by the Government and by the infected blood in compensation authority to improve the delivery of compensation and to ensure that justice is done,' he said. Groups representing people infected and affected by the scandal and people infected themselves gave evidence on Wednesday morning. Andrew Evans, from the campaign group Tainted Blood, told the hearing: 'We have around 2,100 members, all of whom are in a desperate state at the moment since the announcement of the Government's compensation package and things that have unfolded since.' Mr Evans, who was infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products during treatment for haemophilia as a child, shared a quote from one of the members of the Tainted Blood group. 'I'm utterly exhausted,' he read. ADVERTISEMENT 'The anguish is beyond words. I just want this over.' He said that victims have been left feeling 'betrayed and disappointed' adding: 'People have given up on any expectation of receiving anything. 'They have lost all hope of ever getting justice.' Mr Evans added: 'It's a long-held feeling that governments wish to drag the scandal out in order that the longer it goes on, the more people die and the less compensation will need to be paid.' Gary Webster was infected while at Lord Mayor's Treloar School and College in Hampshire (Ben Whitley/PA) Gary Webster, who was infected with HIV and hepatitis C when he attend Lord Mayor's Treloar School in Hampshire (Treloar's) in the 1970s and 80s, said his experience with the compensation scheme had been a 'nightmare'. The 60-year-old said: 'I've asked around the Trealor's boys that are amongst us now and their families about how they think the process is going, and the words they come back with were: 'Despicable, distraught, hoodwinked, betrayed, hurt, forgotten'. ADVERTISEMENT 'People will not get their compensation and a lot of claims will die with them. 'It's just too slow, and people won't get the justice they deserve.' The report into the infected blood scandal was published in May 2024 (Jeff Moore/PA) Campaigner Carolyn Challis was infected with hepatitis C when she received blood transfusions during chemotherapy treatment for lymphatic cancer between 1992 and 1993. The mother-of-three from North Devon said: 'We feel gaslit, marginalised and abused by successive governments that purport to care, but evidently do not. 'We're suffering from sustained trauma. We should not still be fighting.' Nigel Hamilton, chairman of Haemophilia Northern Ireland, added: 'We are entitled to justice and we will have justice.' This week we're contacting everyone who's infected and registered with an existing support scheme to let them know we have their details for a claim and will be in touch when their claim can begin. We are also asking for anyone who is nearing the end of their life to contact us… — Infected Blood Compensation Authority (@IBCA_UK) April 14, 2025 Alan Burgess, a campaigner who was co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C while receiving treatment for haemophilia, said: 'I can't believe we are back here today.' ADVERTISEMENT When asked about the quality of engagement from the Cabinet Office and the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), Mr Burgess said: 'I'd like to say that they engaged with us, but they didn't. 'They talked down to us. They were condescending. They had a scripted answer for everything we had. 'To be honest with you, it's almost a waste of time being there – they weren't going to take any notice of what we said.' He also told the hearing victims were dying while the process was ongoing, with one of his friends dying just weeks ago. Mary Grindley, who has been campaigning for 45 years, told the inquiry engagement from the Government has been a 'tick-box exercise', adding: 'In reality, the decisions have been made behind closed doors.' The grandmother gave up teaching in 1991 to look after her husband, John, who contracted HIV and hepatitis C while receiving treatment for haemophilia who died from Aids in 1994 at the age of 41. Mrs Grindley, now 76, said: 'There are widows who have died who will now get no compensation… I think this is disgraceful.' 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. Some 3,000 people died as a result and survivors are living with lifelong health implications. In her October budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves allocated £11.8 billion to compensate victims, administered by the IBCA. As of April 24, some 475 people have been invited to make a claim and 77 payments have been made totalling more than £78 million, according to IBCA figures. Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has been called to give evidence on Wednesday afternoon while Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) officials will be quizzed by inquiry lawyers on Thursday.
