Treloar’s infected blood victim 'upset' about 'relatively modest' compensation

Long-time infected blood scandal campaigners “want to be more involved in the decisions that are being made about them”, an MP has warned.

Labour MP Clive Efford said his constituent was “upset” at being promised a £15,000 uplift to his infected blood compensation payment, because he attended Treloar's, a figure which the Conservative shadow paymaster general had earlier described as "relatively modest".

During the summer, the Government set out that infected and affected victims will receive a series of financial awards depending on their circumstances, including for "injury impact", "social impact", "autonomy", "care" and "financial loss".

But the Government will pay an additional £10,000 sum to people who were part of unethical research projects on top of these awards or £15,000 to victims who attended Lord Mayor Treloar College in Alton, Hampshire.

Of the pupils that attended Lord Mayor Treloar College in the 1970s and 1980s, “very few escaped being infected."and of 122 pupils with haemophilia that attended the school between 1970 and 1987, only around 30 are still alive.

Mr Efford, MP for Eltham and Chislehurst, told the Commons: "My constituent is a former Treloar’s pupil and he is upset about the £15,000 payment and doesn’t think it’s anywhere near enough.

"I think what this shows is those people who’ve been campaigning for 40 years want to be more involved in the decisions that are being made about them.

"I certainly want to hear how they are going to be engaged, so that they can make their voices heard about the issues whilst welcoming generally what has been proposed, they want to be able to influence things as they go forwards."

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds replied: "I think that the consultation exercise which took place during the period of the general election campaign was hugely important.

"I think it was important the Government listened and made the substantial changes to the scheme that we have done.

"It is hugely important too that the voice of victims continues to be heard as the infected blood compensation scheme continues its work."

Mr Thomas-Symonds said the £15,000 figure was a recommendation from Sir Robert Francis, who helped set up the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA).

"It is a marker of the appalling and unethical medical research," the minister said.

Shadow paymaster general John Glen had earlier said: "I would ask the Paymaster General to clarify the additional autonomy awards for unethical medical research and especially for the nearly 100 haemophiliac children from Treloar’s who the Government has now stated will be paid a higher £15,000 award.

"There have been reported comments from some in the Treloar’s community who appear unhappy at these relatively modest supplementary amounts."

Mr Thomas-Symonds told MPs: "I should say to the House that, look, there is no amount of money that is ever going to make up for the horrors that we’ve seen as part of this scheme."

He added: "That (£15,000) will form but a small part of the overall amounts that I would expect to be paid out under this scheme."

Mr Glen also said: "It continues to trouble me that those who determined this research should take place in the first place appear unaccountable for those decisions."

The minister replied: "Individual prosecutorial decisions are quite rightly independent decisions for the prosecuting authorities.

"But I can confirm that on 9 August, I wrote to the National Police Chiefs’ Council… to make clear that the Cabinet Office and indeed the Government will co-operate fully and make any evidence that is within our control and possession available as appropriate so decisions can be made about people being held to account."

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