Infected blood victims dying ‘two a week’ as thousands await compensation

Activists say that the victims of the injured blood die “two a week” while awaiting compensation for the largest scandal in the history of NHS.

More than 30,000 people in the UK have given HIV treatments and hepatitis between the 1970s and early 1990s, which led to more than 3,000 deaths.

Tony Samers, 89, whose son died after giving infected blood products, said he may not receive compensation until 2029 and is afraid that he might die before that.

The Labor MP described the delay as “embarrassing”, while the affected blood compensation body (IBCA) said that its priority is to pay compensation to “the largest possible number of people.”

In May 2024, a general investigation found that the authorities had covered the size of what is now known as as as Infected blood scandal.

In response, the UK government allocated 11.8 billion pounds to compensate the victims – including parents, children and siblings – which could be up to 140,000.

But many of the victims, charities and head of the investigation, Sir Brian Langestav, expressed concern about the way of implementing the compensation and the time it takes.

Forty people were compensation offers so far according to IBCA.

The son of Mr. Samarz Paul’s son was diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis after giving a blood clotting product used to treat blood.

He died in 2008 at the age of 44.

“I just feel very proud of what [Paul] Mr. Samaris of Llantwit Major said at Vale of Glamorgan.

“I would like to feel that everything we started in 1984, which was a long journey, which we will not lose.

“We will achieve it and give me more satisfaction than anything else. Just to feel that we did the right thing.

“It may be the most important thing in my life to reach the end of this, to get closed. I just want this to end.”

Mr. Samarz claims that he may not receive compensation until 2029 – five years after the final report was published.

“By that time, I will be 93 years old and start getting doubts,” he said.

“People are still dying from any affected diseases. Parents die. So it seems that there is a policy [of] “If we hold for a long time enough, we will not have to pay this money.”

Lin Kelly, President of Hemoville Wales, said people want to close after campaigns for more than four decades.

“People die two a week at the present time, so we are in a very difficult situation,” she said.

“They are late and delay because more and more people die.

“The injured die, and when those affected die, their demands die with them, so there is no demand that they are submitted little by little, they will be less and less than people who will be qualified to obtain compensation and less money will be paid.

“They have been ignored for 40 years, they have had a 40 -year campaign.

IBCA manages payments, which are exempt from the tax and will not affect the benefits.

A person with HIV may expect compensation between 2.2 million pounds and 2.6 million pounds.

Those who suffer from chronic hepatitis infection, knowing that it lasts for more than six months, can get between 665,000 pounds and 810,000 pounds.

A partner of HIV can expect about 110,000 pounds today.

About 4000 survivors or their bereaved families have received temporary payments of 310,000 pounds since 2022.

Labor Clayef Evord, head of the parliamentary group for all parties (Appg) on ​​the blood and contaminated blood, said the situation has become a “embarrassing issue for the government.”

“We owe these people to take this compensation out of the door as soon as possible because they suffer as a result for many years, they were forced to confront the state.”

David Foley, the temporary CEO of IBCA, said his priority is to pay “the largest possible number of people as soon as possible, as Nakhim and the construction of a service demanding compensation.”

Mr. Foley said that IBCA has now contacted more than 250 people, but he said they “are completely aware that there are many compensation awaiting.”

“We will continue to increase the number of compensation payments that were conducted while we are building the claim service more,” he added.

“We are committed to making payments for the majority of the injured by 2027 and the majority of people affected by 2029 – which makes these payments faster than this whenever possible.”