LONDON — The country’s infected blood scandal, which saw more than 2,000 patients pass away after contracting HIV or hepatitis from transfusions of tainted blood in the 1970s and 1980s, has affected thousands of people, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said Wednesday that he is committed to swiftly paying out compensation to those affected.
However, when Sunak failed to provide a clear response regarding when complete payments would be sent out, survivors and families of those affected mocked him when he testified before an independent investigation investigating the public healthcare scandal.
The Infected Blood Inquiry was launched in 2017 to investigate how contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s led to the transmission of HIV or Hepatitis C to thousands of patients in the UK.
In what has been dubbed the largest healthcare catastrophe in the National Health Service’s history in Britain, an estimated 2,400 to 2,900 individuals perished.
The tainted blood was connected to supplies of Factor VIII, a clotting factor that British health services purchased from the U.S. Some of the blood products’ plasma was linked to high-risk donors, such as prisoners who were paid to donate blood samples.
On Wednesday, hundreds of survivors and impacted families—some of whom had lobbied for government compensation for decades—filled a conference room in a London hotel as Sunak testified before the panel.
The Infected Blood Inquiry was launched in 2017 to investigate how contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s led to the transmission of HIV or Hepatitis C to thousands of patients in the UK.
Sunak acknowledged that many governments had let down the victims of what he called an “appalling scandal” throughout time.
Sunak told the commission, “This is an abhorrent scandal that has been going on for decades.” “This goes beyond historical wrongs. Today, there is misery and impact on people.
“Justice has been withheld from people over a period of not just years, but decades. They haven’t gotten the respect they need and deserve,” he continued.
Last year, the government announced that grieving partners and survivors of the deceased would receive 100,000 pounds ($129,000) in compensation.
Brian Langstaff, the retired judge who led the probe, proposed in April that the scope of compensation be increased to cover more people whose lives were negatively impacted by the scandal, such as parents who lost their children.
Sunak reaffirmed that officials would wait until the entire result of the investigation was released before deciding whether to continue the victim compensation program. Later this year, the definitive report is anticipated.
The Haemophilia Society chairman, Clive Smith, stated that the agony of individuals who have been waiting for this for such a long time has only been made worse by the delays in the compensation.
“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,” added Smith.
SOURCE – (AP)
