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Victims of the UK’s contaminated blood scandal will be entitled to life-long support scheme payments, as the government seeks to bring closure to families who have waited more than half a century for redress.
The legally enshrined scheme announced on Friday follows the publication of the final report of the damning public inquiry into the decades-long scandal, which found that the British state was guilty of a “chilling” and “pervasive” cover-up.
More than 3,000 people have died so far after contracting HIV, hepatitis C and other diseases from the tainted products.
Ministers said on Friday that infected victims and bereaved partners would continue to receive regular support scheme payments for life, with some individually expected to receive more than £2.5mn.
The Cabinet Office has not released an overall estimate for how much the multimillion-pound scheme will cost.
The public inquiry found some patients with bleeding disorders, including children, had been experimented on without their or their parents’ informed consent.
The government said on Friday that those victims subjected to “unethical research” would receive an additional payment of up to £15,000.
Ministers have also increased the “social impact award” for loved ones who lived in the same household as a victim for more than two years.
Campaigners on behalf of the victims have called on the government to rapidly begin making payments, given that victims are dying without receiving any redress for the damage it has inflicted upon their lives.
In its final report in May, the public inquiry into the scandal, led by Sir Brian Langstaff, called for a full victim compensation scheme to be implemented within a year. The new Labour government, which was elected since the report came out, said it had accepted the “majority” of its recommendations.
Langstaff accused healthcare staff, ministers and officials of “a lack of openness, transparency and candour . . . such that the truth has been hidden for decades”.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, Cabinet Office minister, said on Friday: “This is an important milestone for victims and campaigners who have waited far too long for justice.
“We are going to do everything possible to deliver compensation quickly, and in many cases deliver life-changing sums to people infected and affected by this scandal.”
He added: “We know no amount of compensation can fully address the damage to people who suffered as a result of this scandal. This is why alongside the compensation, we must drive forward the wider cultural changes to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
