Victims of the infected blood scandal fear that they will die before they receive compensation

You say that the government drags its feet

People who administered infected blood in one of the worst treatment disasters in the history of the NHS are “afraid that they will not see any compensation,” said activists.

The examination of the infected blood scandal is to reopen later this week with regard to the compensation of the victims.

Officials said the hearings for infected blood tests, which are held on May 7th and 8th, will examine the “timeliness and appropriateness of the government's reaction”.

Gary Webster, who was infected with HIV and hepatitis C when he visited Lord Mayor's Treloar School in Hampshire (Treloar) in the 1970s and 80s, said that he had the feeling that “things went downhill” since the investigation published his main report last year.

He told the PA news agency: “Things don't run the way you should go – it is too slow and there seems to be a random system from which you choose from.

“We fought for this stage for so many years … and now they say that they hope to pay everyone infected by the end of 2027 and they hope to pay those affected by the end of 2029.

“Well, there are two people a week – all you have to do is do the sums yourself to find out that many people are not paid, justice does not get and die without knowing what happened.”

“It only tightens the injury,” added the 60-year-old.

“I think people are now afraid that they will only survive when they receive compensation.”

The hemophilia company said that people's lives were “contributed to their suffering” by the scandal and the delays of the remuneration scheme.

Kate Burt, Managing Director of the charity, said: “The delays and uncertainties created by the government contributed to their suffering.

“We hope that the new investigation of the investigation will identify the urgent measures that are necessary to determine this remuneration system so that payments can be quickly delivered to everyone whose life has been ruined by this scandal.”

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.

Around 3,000 people died in a row, and survivors live with lifelong health effects.

Justine Gordon-Smith, whose father died after being infected with hepatitis C, said that those who are affected by the scandal are “in the back of the queue”.

Her father Randolph Peter Gordon-Smith, who had hemophilia, died in 2018.

Ms. Gordon-Smith from Edinburgh told PA: “I think that those affected are in the back of the queue.

“Of course, the infected should be prioritized because they are those who are directly injured – I think what we are concerned is is the degree of people affected – the widows that are the aging parents in the 80s.”

She added: “I want the secondary effects on people to give more recognition – family members, including parents, widows, children like me, are forced to bring great victims in our lives.”

The Collins, Senior Partner at Collins Solicitors, which represents a significant number of people affected by the scandal, told PA: “People die while waiting for justice.

“You didn't see it. In some cases, the claims with you die.”

To the hearings, he said: “You are relieved that something finally seems to happen, but there is a feeling that we have been here before and never seems to change.”

Rachel Halford, Managing Director of Hepatitis C Trust, said: “A year after the infected Blood Inquiry report that is alienated by the community, the remuneration system is done with problems and almost nothing was done to have the other 11 inquiries.

“We hope that Sir Brian Langstaff will be able to change the government to the people who are affected by this terrible scandal when the examination reopened.

“The government must stop their concerns regarding the remuneration system, the serious inadequacies, the IBCA (infected Blow compensation authority) complete independence and the glacier rate, with which people are invited, to claim to ignore complete lack of independence.

“After 50 years, this is the slightest thing to earn people. They only want to continue with their lives. But for too many people this last year has tightened decades of suffering.”

Groups represented by the scandals and affected people will provide evidence during the recent hearings.

The Minister of Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas Symonds, will also provide evidence together with high-ranking IBCA officials.

The infected blood test published its main report on the scandal in May last year, and a day later, a compensation system was announced.

In her budget in October, Chancellor Rachel Reeves passed £ 11.8 billion to compensate for the victims managed by the IBCA.

But since then, activists and victims have contacted the investigation with concerns about the implementation of compensation and the duration of the permanent.

Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the investigative chairman, said that the victims and families of the people affected by the scandal were desperate and powerless due to the government's approach.

He said that people who are infected and affected by the scandal “have no time on their side”.

In April, Mr. Thomas – Symonds said that he was “restless for progress” to spend payments to the infected blood scandal victim.

By April 24, around 475 people were invited to claim a claim, and according to the IBCA number, a total of 77 payments of more than £ 78 million were made.

A spokesman for the IBCA said: “Those who are affected by the infected blood scandal have been waiting for recognition and compensation for decades, and therefore our priority pays as soon as possible.

“We have had every claim that we have supported since we started to open our service in October 2024.

“Now we use everything we have learned to increase the number of claims per week.

“Since we continue to compensate those who are infected and registered with a support system, we also expand our team of trained damage managers. This means that we can make more payments and make them faster.

“At the end of April we opened our service for 200 more people and from May 5th we will open our service to another 200 people. From then on we will request an average of 100 people to start their claims per week.”

A government spokesman said: “The victims of this scandal suffered indescribably.

“We are still committed to working with the request, acting on his recommendations and are grateful for his work so far.

“So far we have compensated almost £ 80 million and put £ 11.8 billion aside to provide one of the most comprehensive remuneration systems in modern history.”

Published: 05/05/2025 From Radio Newshub