Victim of the infected blood scandal “in the dark” about compensation, says Andy Burnham

May 24, 2025, 13:10

The victims of the infected blood scandal became “in the dark” about when they received compensation a year after the publication of a comprehensive request report, said Andy Burnham.

The mayor of Greater Manchester, who acted under Gordon Brown as Minister of Health, also called for criminal investigations into the scandal.

The infected blood test, which published its pioneering report a year ago, came to the conclusion that the scandal “could be largely avoided” and there was an “omnipresent” cover -up to hide the truth.

More than 30,000 people in Great Britain were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they had given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and the early 1990s.

And more than 3,000 people died as a result, while survivors live with lifelong health effects.

A remuneration system was announced the day after the report has been published.

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In the week of BBC Radio 4 in the Westminster program, Mr. Burnham said that it “troubles” to hear me that the victims are still without compensation a year after the system started.

The infected Blood Employment Authority (IBCA) designed more than 96 million pounds on May 6th with 106 compensation payments.

Mr. Burnham, who used the victim, added: “We thought we did not report after the public investigation that the entire British state would say:” Right, now we have things right and we are doing it quickly “.

“Firstly, there are only the delays and they are left in the dark and so many people have just been waiting. There are randomness.”

Look again: Lewis Goodall is accompanied by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester |

Compensation awards seem to be made via a “lottery” that the mayor claimed and insisted that they should instead be issued “on the basis of the need for people and the level of their condition”.

Mr. Burnham added: “It is simply wrong that people died weekly since the public investigation was reported without compensation. How does anyone in Whitehall justify that?”

The former health minister stood in previous comments in which he believed that there was a criminal covering up behind the scandal.

“This is a systematic cover -up by the system that has been in all governments for decades,” he said.

Mr. Burnham added: “It must be the case that there must be criminal investigations in addition to compensation.

“Because I know as State Secretary, I received untrue briefings that contained this line – that no one was knowingly given knowingly uncertain blood – but the warnings were given to the Ministry of Health many years earlier.”