Health Minister to increase payments for those left bereaved by contaminated blood scandal

UTV can exclusively reveal Health Minister Robin Swann will introduce a payment scheme for people in Northern Ireland bereaved by the contaminated blood scandal.

The revelation was made during an investigation by UTV's Up Close programme broadcast on Thursday night.

Patients from Northern Ireland are among the thousands across the UK who've died following treatment with contaminated blood products in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

They were infected with diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C.

Survivors and their families have struggled financially, and many were unable to work because of related illnesses.

Less than 100 infected patients remain alive in Northern Ireland.

Most suffer from a life threatening condition called Hemophilia which means their blood doesn’t clot.

They were treated with products imported from the US.

But Up Close was told concerns about the safety of US blood had been raised decades before.

The treatment of Haemophiliacs infected in Northern Ireland will be examined by the Infected Blood Tribunal next month.

Set up in 2018, the Blood Inquiry is the biggest ever held in the UK.

It’s examining the circumstance which led to the treatment disaster, considered to be the worst in the history of the NHS.

Up Close spoke exclusively to local patients infected and their families about the Inquiry.

Some expressed disappointment that some clinicians from Northern Ireland are among a number from across the UK who will not be called to give evidence to the inquiry because of old age and ill health.

The programme focused on survivors calls for the truth to emerge and for accountability to be taken.

The UK is one of the few countries in the world where liability has never been accepted for contaminated blood.

• Gareth Wilkinson has this exclusive report: