All infected blood victims and next of kin in the UK should receive at least £100,000 in compensation ‘immediately’, said the chair of the investigation into the tragedy.
Thousands of people contracted HIV or hepatitis C in the 1970s and 1980s, after the UK imported blood from the US and reportedly administered it without properly screening it.
After years of campaigning, former prime minister Theresa May given the green light to investigate what happened in 2017 and an investigation was launched two years later.
Former judge Sir Brian Langstaff is leading the investigation which essentially seeks to establish how much was known about the infected blood and to what extent the recipients were warned.
While the investigation is not yet complete, Sir Brian released an interim report on Friday demanding that families be quickly compensated.
He wrote: ‘This research has heard of profound physical and mental suffering from a wide variety of backgrounds, in different places and in different personal circumstances.
“I recommend that an interim payment be made without delay to all those infected and all surviving relatives currently registered in UK infected blood aid programmes, and those who register between now and the start of a future settlement.”
He said the payout should be no less than £100,000.
The amount was recommended last month by Sir Robert Francis QC after he studied victim compensation frameworks.
Around 2,400 people have already died in what has been described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
Sir Brian’s recommendations do not have to be legally accepted by the government, which he made clear in his report.
But former health secretary Matt Hancock told the inquiry last year that the government would stick to the final report.
One of the lawyers representing more than 400 of the victims, Des Collins, said: “While it is too late for the thousands who have died tragically in the intervening years since they were infected, it is a welcome development for some of those who have died.” are still alive. with the dire consequences of this avoidable treatment failure.
“We look forward to the day when all victims of this scandal are duly compensated for their suffering and for those whose decisions have resulted in the destruction of countless innocent lives being held accountable.”
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