Former health minister David Mellor wanted to "deal straight away" with demands for compensation from victims of the contaminated blood scandal during his time in office - more than thirty years ago. In 2022, those affected are still waiting.
Mr Mellor, who served in the Department of Health during 1988 and 1989. At this time, the Government was facing legal action from hundreds of haemophiliacs who had been infected with HIV through infected blood, along with their families. Speaking at the ongoing Infected Blood Inquiry on Thursday, Mr Mellor also said ministers had received "shoddy" legal advice at this time - and said it was clear the Government had a duty of care to those affected.
Answering questions from Inquiry lawyer Matthew Hill, Mr Mellor - who had ministerial responsibility for the AIDS crisis when he took the job in the Department of Health, said: "What I wanted to do was just to deal straight away with this problem and offer proper compensation in hope that the misery that we had inflicted, without intending to, on these folk at least could be alleviated to some degree."
