Head of compensation authority to attend our annual conference

Written by Jessica Bomford, October 25, 2024

David Foley, Interim Chief Executive of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), will be available to answer your questions at our Big Get-Together (BGT) annual conference in Leicester on 16 November.

Mr Foley will speak at a dedicated session on compensation for people infected and affected by contaminated blood products which runs between 11.30am and 12.30pm. He will be at the BGT all day and has indicated he is prepared to have private conversations with participants who have a particular issue to raise. Mr Foley and the IBCA team are in charge of the process of delivering compensation, not the policy, which is the government’s responsibility. Changes to the compensation scheme, such as eligibility or payment banding, need to be made by the government. However, Mr Foley and his team have made clear that they want to hear from the infected and affected community, so this is your chance to have your say.

At BGT we will also be screening the short film, ‘What We Wished We Could Be’, by Slick Films, which is an award-winning drama about a couple impacted by the contaminated blood scandal.

If you cannot attend the conference but have a question you’d like us to raise with Mr Foley, please email it to us at [email protected]. We will publish a summary of Mr Foley’s answers the week beginning 18 November.

The BGT takes place at the Leicester Marriott Hotel on 16 November. It is open to all members of the Haemophilia Society and is free to attend. You must register for this event in advance. The BGT also features discussions and workshops about new treatments, living with von Willebrand disorder, the challenges of having a very rare condition, getting the best dental care and the psychological impact of living with a chronic condition.

IBCA was set up by the government to administer compensation to people infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal. It is currently part of the Cabinet Office in its shadow form, but will become an established legal entity once the relevant legislation is passed. Any changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme have to be made by the government.