A compensation scheme for thousands of people affected by the infected blood scandal, described as the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, will reportedly be announced within weeks.
Ministers will set up an arm’s-length body to administer the funds, which could run into hundreds of millions of pounds, and recognise culpability for the scandal for the first time, according to the Sunday Times.
As many as 30,000 people became severely ill after being given factor VIII blood products that were contaminated with HIV and hepatitis C imported from the US in the 1970s and 80s, or after being exposed to tainted blood through transfusions or after childbirth. On average, one person affected is dying every four days, with approximately 3,000 having died to date.
The fight for compensation has been going on since the 1980s but to date the government has only set up a support scheme offering ex gratia payments without any admission of liability.
Last year, before the then health secretary Matt Hancock’s appearance at the public inquiry into the scandal, the paymaster general, Penny Mordaunt, announced the appointment of Sir Robert Francis QC to examine options for a framework for compensation before the inquiry reports its findings.
But there has been pressure on the government to expedite the compensation process. In March, Terrence Higgins Trust and the all-party parliamentary group on haemophilia and contaminated blood wrote to Mordaunt calling for the urgent publication of Francis’ framework study.
The letter said that many people treated with contaminated blood and blood products were now old and in poor health and “deserve to see compensation, that they feel fairly reflects their suffering, delivered in their lifetime”. It added: “Too many members of this community have already died without that.”
The Sunday Times said details of the scheme will be revealed when the government responds to the Francis review, which will present a number of options to the government at different costs.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson confirmed the review would be published shortly. “The government intends to publish the study by Sir Robert Francis QC in time for the inquiry and its core participants to consider it before Sir Robert gives evidence to the inquiry in July,” they said. “Government will give full consideration to Sir Robert’s recommendations and evidence to the inquiry.”
