Victims of the U.K.’s infected blood scandal will be receiving final compensation payments this year following a report that exposed contaminated blood products leading to HIV and hepatitis infections from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued an apology for the “decades-long moral failure” of the National Health Service. The scandal is considered the deadliest disaster in the history of the U.K.’s National Health Service, with tens of thousands of people infected by tainted blood or blood products. The report revealed that civil servants and doctors exposed patients to unacceptable risks by giving them contaminated blood transfusions.
The report uncovered a “catalog of failures” by the U.K. government in handling the infected blood scandal that led to the deaths of an estimated 3,000 people and the infection of around 30,000 others with HIV or hepatitis C. Successive U.K. governments attempted to cover up the scandal and refused to admit wrongdoing. Cabinet Office Minister John Glen announced that victims most urgently needing payments will receive a further interim compensation of 210,000 pounds ahead of the establishment of the full payment plan. Friends and family who have cared for those infected are also eligible to claim compensation, with the first interim payment of 100,000 pounds already provided in 2022 to each survivor and bereaved partner.
Lawyer Des Collins, representing many victims, highlighted that some bereaved families have not received any payments or information on how to claim interim payments. Campaigners have long fought to expose official failings and secure government compensation, with the inquiry finally approved in 2017. Over the past four years, the inquiry reviewed evidence from more than 5,000 witnesses and over 100,000 documents. Many affected individuals had hemophilia, and in the 1970s, they were given a new treatment containing plasma from high-risk donors from the United States, leading to further contamination.
The report revealed that around 1,250 people with bleeding disorders, including 380 children, were infected with HIV-tainted blood products, with three-quarters of them dying as a result. Another 5,000 individuals who received contaminated blood products developed chronic hepatitis C, while an estimated 26,800 others were infected with hepatitis C after receiving blood transfusions in hospitals. The disaster could have been largely avoided had officials taken steps to address the known risks linked to blood transfusions and the use of contaminated blood products. The report also highlighted a defensive culture within the government and health services that worsened the harm done.
The inquiry concluded that the U.K. lagged behind other developed countries in introducing rigorous screening of blood products and blood donor selection, contributing to the tragedy. The compensation package is estimated to cost more than 10 billion pounds, with victims and their loved ones finally receiving acknowledgement and financial support after years of fighting for justice. The announcement of final compensation payments this year signifies a significant step towards addressing the injustices of the infected blood scandal and providing some measure of closure to those affected.
