Compensation for Bad Blood
posted: 11/01/2011
More compensation will be paid to people (who are mainly people with haemophilia) who got hepatitis C from contaminated blood transfusions by the NHS over 20 years ago, the government announced.
Many people got HIV through the same contaminated blood scandal, while others got both HIV and hepatitis C and some just hepatitis C. The compensation arrangements for HIV and hepatitis C were different and people with hepatitis C felt cheated.
Hepatitis C campaigners are still unhappy and will continue to fight for more help. One of the campaigning groups, Tainted Blood, said the offer "hugely disappointing", and Haemophilia Society chief executive Chris James said the payments "would not bring closure to many people."
HIV complaint too
A man with HIV from Blackburn, Lancashire, 'John Smith' has also criticised the compensation scheme as inadequate.
‘Serious disease' payments
The announcement by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, follows a three-month review of the compensation paid to those who were infected with hepatitis C, which can cause liver damage and cancer. Separate settlements were made to those who got HIV through blood transfusions. Some people were infected with both HIV and hepatitis C. Many of those who received contaminated blood in the 1970s and 1980s have died.
Cirrhosis and liver cancer
The new deal offers better compensation to those whose hepatitis C infection has progressed to cause serious disease. The current terms allow a one-off payment of £20,000 to all those infected, with a further £25,000 if they develop more severe diseases, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Under the new deal, the second group – those with severe diseases – will get an annual payment of £12,800 a year. Those with severe diseases who have already been given a lump sum will have it increased from £25,000 to £50,000.
There will also be "discretionary payments" to those most in need, and the dependents of those who died before 2003 will for the first time be able to claim. There will also be a doubling in a one-off payment to £50,000 when people become very ill.
"I fully recognise that the unintended and tragic consequences of these treatments have seriously impaired the lives of many people, together with those of their families," said Lansley. "For too long those people infected with hepatitis C have received different support to those infected with HIV. We now intend to make the financial support for hepatitis C patients fairer and more comparable to the arrangements for those infected with HIV."
Campaigners’ disappointment
But, after decades of fighting for what they consider fair settlement, including the recent independent inquiry by Lord Archer which recommended much greater generosity from the government, campaigners said they were devastated.
Sue Threakall, secretary of Tainted Blood, said: "While there are some minor positive points, we are devastated by this announcement. There are a limited number of people that the new financial support will be available to and the level of payment to those who will qualify is hugely disappointing. It will not bring to an end the years of suffering and will mean that the campaign for achieving proper compensation for all will continue with a new vigour."
Chris James, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said he thought the reaction from the community would be that it is "a gesture rather than a settlement. People will not feel that this is going to bring closure in terms of the money being paid. The levels of compensation are not in the region that people still feel is appropriate for the impact on their lives."
Those who were infected but not severely ill would get nothing more – unless they were in serious need and qualified for a discretionary payment – and the new annual payment for those with liver cancer is only likely to be paid for very few years because life expectancy for people with liver cancer is short.
Sources
Guardian
BBC
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