The Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry Sir Brian Langstaff has been speaking after a new report into the scandal was published criticising the compensation scheme.
More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s.
The report published today said that the victims of the UK infected blood scandal being “harmed further” by compensation delays
The report said that only 460 people out of thousands have received compensation and added that officials are still not transparent, with decision-making made ‘behind closed doors’, amid allegations of moving goalposts and delays exacerbating their grief.
The Infected Blood Inquiry published its main report on the scandal in May last year, and a compensation scheme was announced a day later, allocating some £11.8 billion to compensate victims.
About 1,000 more people have started their claims and are yet to receive a payout offer but thousands more, particularly the relatives of those who died, are still waiting to hear any information about when they will be eligible for compensation and for how much
The report says they are facing a potential wait until the
