Campaigners to call on PM to pay full compensation when he gives evidence at Infected Blood Inquiry
Protesters will lobby Rishi Sunak to authorise full compensation payments when he gives evidence at the Infected Blood Inquiry on Wednesday.
Campaigners will call on the Prime Minister to pay full compensation to those infected and affected by contaminated blood and blood products, as recommended by Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the inquiry, in April.
Mr Sunak has previously said the Government will wait for the full report into the infected blood scandal before considering whether to extend the compensation scheme for victims.
Clive Smith, chairman of the Haemophilia Society, said the Government’s failure to act quickly on the compensation has “only compounded the suffering of those who have been waiting for this for so long”.
He added that Sir Brian had accepted in April that it would require “significant political will” to pay full compensation and that is what campaigners want to see.
“People who have waited 40 years expect to see a significant demonstration of political will and a commitment to get this done as soon as is practical,” he added.
Mr Smith said that if the compensation was widened “many would be able to see the finishing line was in sight”.
He said: “25 years ago the Haemophilia Society presented a letter to Tony Blair, yet here we are still arguing and campaigning for the same thing.
“To finally see the finishing line in sight would give a lot of people some sort of resolution and peace which they’ve been campaigning for and fighting for for decades.”
The Infected Blood Inquiry was established in 2017 to examine how thousands of patients in the UK developed HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products given in the 1970s and 1980s.
About 2,900 people died in what has been labelled the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
Many had the blood-clotting disorder haemophilia and were given injections of the US product Factor VIII.
Sir Brian has said an interim compensation scheme should be widened so more people – including orphaned children and parents who lost children – could be compensated.
He said in April he was taking the unusual step of making the recommendation ahead of the publication of the full report into the scandal so that victims would not face any more delays.
Under the initial scheme, only victims themselves or bereaved partners can receive an interim payment of around £100,000.
The inquiry has recommended the Government establish an arm’s-length compensation body now, and definitely before the final report is made in the autumn.
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