Contaminated blood victims ‘not given equal support across the UK’
The government has been accused of creating a hierarchy among contaminated blood victims by allowing varying support payments across the UK.
A haemophiliac, who along with his twin brother contracted hepatitis C from polluted blood products, accused ministers of “reprehensible and shameful” behaviour for a funding disparity that has resulted in sufferers in England being paid more.
Nigel Hamilton’ shard-hitting testimony before the Infected Blood Inquiry came as Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley told another local victim of the health scandal that the best means of securing added support was through the restoration of a devolved government at Stormont.
Them an, known as Mr I, accused Mrs Bradley of treating victims like a“political football”.
Northern I re land’ sp ower sharing crisis is currently preventing enhanced support payments being offered to people living with the consequences of contaminated blood treatment in the region.
Mr Hamilton, from Co An trim, said victims in Scotland and Wales were also not being treated equally as a result of the government move. “If I lived in England, the recognition of my victimhood would be different,” he told the inquiry, which is this week sitting in Belfast.
“But in Northern Ireland, like those in Scotland and Wales, all victims of this same National Health Service disaster appear not worthy of equal financial support during the lifetime of this inquiry.
“That is a sad reflection of my government, which has now created a hierarchy of victims under the pretence of it being a devolved matter. That to me as an act is reprehensible.”
Thousands of patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
About 2,400 people died. At the outset of the inquiry, the government announced an uplift in the level of financial support offered to those impacted during the time frame of the inquiry.