Extra £29m promised to contaminated blood victims

VICTIMS of the contaminated blood scandal in England will receive more money, Theresa May has announced as a public inquiry begins today.

Thousands of haemophiliacs and other hospital patients in the Seventies and Eighties were given blood products infected with hepatitis C and HIV, leading to the deaths of around 2,400 people.

As hearings begin in London today, the Government announced extra money would go to thousands of people affected by the medical catastrophe in England. Regular annual payments will rise from £46million to £75 million.

Mrs May said: “The contaminated blood scandal was a tragedy that should never have happened and has caused unimaginable pain and hurt for victims and their families for decades.

“I know this will be a difficult time for victims and their families – but today will begin a journey which will be dedicated to getting to the truth of what happened and in delivering justice to everyone involved.”

Infected blood support schemes were set up in 2017 – with country-specific programmes in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland.

The funding increase “follows extensive consultation with those affected and a recognition of the disparities that have existed across the schemes”, the Department of Health and Social care added.

The infected blood inquiry will hear from victims at Fleetbank House, central London, before similar testimonies take place over the coming months in Belfast, Leeds, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

The inquiry is chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, a former High Court judge, who said: “As I promised at the outset, people and their experiences are at the heart of this inquiry, and the inquiry is honouring its undertaking to hear directly in major centres around the whole of the UK from those infected by blood or blood products, and those who have been affected by this.”