Infected Blood Inquiry 2024 update

Written by Jessica Bomford, January 9, 2024

This year will finally see the conclusion of the Infected Blood Inquiry and, we all hope, the setting up of a full compensation scheme for those infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal.

The Infected Blood Inquiry, which was set up in 2017, will publish its final report in March – we should find out the exact date by 17 January. This report will look at what went wrong and who was responsible for the scandal.

Two reports have already been published by the inquiry which have focussed on compensation. The first recommended an interim compensation payment of £100,000 for anyone registered on a UK infected blood support scheme which was paid by the government in October 2022. The second, published in April 2023, found that ‘wrongs were done at individual, collective and systemic levels’ and recommended that a full compensation scheme be set up immediately.

The government has yet to respond to the report on compensation, insisting that it will wait until the inquiry’s final report is published before it sets out its plans. However, late last year MPs voted to insert a new clause in the Victims and Prisoners Bill which will force the government to set up a compensation scheme this year. This bill will next be discussed when it reaches its Committee Stage on 24 January.

We continue to receive many enquiries about compensation. Unfortunately the only people who can claim interim compensation are those who were infected or the bereaved partners of the infected who are registered on a UK infected blood support scheme. Currently there is no system to register children, parents, siblings and other family members or carers for full or interim compensation.

As the government has not outlined what type of compensation scheme it plans to adopt, it is not possible for anyone to register for compensation or to confirm whether they will be eligible. We appreciate this is a really frustrating situation and we, along with other campaign groups, are working to try to get more details of what might happen. We will update you as soon as we know more.

You can get news about the Infected Blood Inquiry and compensation by following our dedicated Twitter account, signing up to our private Facebook group or by checking our website.

Contact our Public Inquiry Team at [email protected].