PM urged to pay 'tainted blood' victims compensation now

A victim of the 'tainted blood' scandal has welcomed calls for the Government to pay compensation immediately.

The leaders of seven political parties have signed a letter to Theresa May demanding full payments for those infected in the NHS Infected Blood scandal.

Melanie McKay from Sheffield was one of the thousands of people infected with HIV or Hepatitis from NHS blood supplies in the 1970s and 80s.

She says compensation payments to victims are long overdue.

An inquiry is currently underway, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, but the findings are unlikely to be published for two years.

Now the leaders of seven opposition parties consisting of Labour, SNP, Lib-Dems, DUP, Plaid Cymru, Green Party, and Change UK, are demanding compensation is paid now.

The letter to Theresa May was co-ordinated by Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Hull North and Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood.

She says over 2,500 victims have already died and one more is dying every four days, and many will not live to see if compensation is paid when the Inquiry concludes.