Infected Blood Scandal survivor from Chorley welcomes plans to extend compensation

Video report by Granada Reports Correspondent Tim Scott

A survivor of the Infected Blood Scandal says she felt "guilty" for receiving compensation while parents and children of other victims did not.

Nicola Leahey, who contracted Hep C from an infected blood transfusion, is one of many campaigners who has welcomed the recommendation that compensation payouts should be offered to other family members.

Thousands of people were infected with HIV and Hepititus C from contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

Nicola, who is from Chorley, said: "It is something we've been asking for so the people who weren't involved before, the parents of children who are bereaved, are going to be included.

"We felt guilty that they weren't included when we got our interim payment"

An inquiry set up into the scandal led to interim payments to those who were infected and bereaved partners of those who've died.

Now, the inquiry's chair announced that parents and children who suffered bereavements, previously ineligble for compensation, should now also be compensated.

The report sets out that compensation for victims of the infected blood scandal should be paid "immediately" and extended to the parents or children of a victim if they were not married.

An independent inquiry has published its second interim report, in which it recommends a £100,000 payment to recognise the deaths of people "as yet unrecognised" and to help "alleviate immediate suffering".

It states payments should also be widened out to include a victim's parent, child or sibling if they didn't have a spouse - something campaigners have long been calling for.

Chair of the independent inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff, said some family members, including parents who lost children, remain "unrecognised" and "it is time to put this right".

The Infected Blood Inquiry was requested by former Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017, who described the scandal as "an appalling tragedy which should simply never have happened".

Giving evidence to the inquiry last year, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it could be seen as a "huge failing of democracy" that victims have had to wait so long for justice.

Wednesday's report refers back to recommendations in an another independent report by Sir Robert Francis KC in June 2022, which advised ministers that victims should receive interim payments of at least £100,000.

A Government spokesperson said: "The infected blood scandal should never have happened.

"We thank the chair and the inquiry team for this detailed interim report and the Government is continuing preparations for responding to the final report when it is published."