Infected blood victims will get extra payments
VICTIMS and families of hospital patients infected with contaminated blood will receive extra financial support from the Welsh Government.
During the 1970s and ‘80s, 283 people in Wales were infected after being given contaminated blood. So far 70 have died from conditions including HIV and hepatitis.
They did not know they were being given a protein treatment drawn from blood that had not been donated but sold by many desperate people in the USA.
It was one of the biggest medical scandals of the past 30 years and there has never been a public inquiry. Earlier this year, Cardiff North MP Julie Morgan and crossparty colleagues called for an inquiry to take place.
On Thursday Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said that a new process will come into place to help those affected in Wales.
Victims will get increased yearly payments and there will be regular bereavement payments for spouses and partners for three years after death, which previously did not exist.
Mr Gething said the UK system was “ad hoc”, with different schemes, and he wanted to introduce a single streamlined scheme for Wales.
He said that under the new system people will be “treated with the dignity they have a right to expect”.
He added: “The one-off payment is not sufficient to help people adjust when regular payments cease. To address this, I have decided that spouses, civil partners or partners will receive 75% of the regular payments for three years after bereavement.”
The Health Secretary described the scandal as a “tragic episode” and said: “Today’s announcement brings an end to the uncertainty about support in future and will introduce a new scheme that is supportive, transparent and as equitable as possible.
“We’ve taken account of the views expressed by those affected, which have helped shape the new arrangements, giving us a deeper understanding of the impact of the tragedy on their lives and those of their families.”
Mrs Morgan said: “I have long campaigned with Assembly Members from all parties for fair and improved payments for the people who were given infected blood and have to live with the consequences of HIV and Hepatitis C through no fault of their own.
“This new compensation scheme for people in Wales is definitely step forward.”
Lynne Kelly, chair of Haemophilia Wales, said: “It is great that people will now have one body overseeing compensation in Wales, managed by Velindre, rather than the previous five under the scheme in England.
“We also really welcome the fact that widows or widowers will not have to prove themselves – it will be enough for a husband or wife to have been registered with one of the old trusts for them to now receive ex gratia payments under this new scheme.
“We would like to thank the Welsh Government for listening and to Julie Morgan for her longstanding support and her debate in the Assembly calling for a public inquiry into the scandal of contaminated blood.”
Tony Summers from Llantwit Major, whose son Paul died aged 44 after receiving contaminated blood, said: “I’m so pleased today we’ve made progress and the people we represent can feel happier than in previous years. It’s a major breakthrough.”
The new scheme will be administered by Velindre NHS Trust through the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership.