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Sir Brian calls for faster and fairer compensation

Written by Jessica Bomford, July 9, 2025

Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry, has called on the government to make a series of changes to its compensation scheme to address ‘obvious injustices’ in the process.

The inquiry’s Additional Report on Compensation, published on 9 July, is the result of concern from the infected blood community, campaigners and charities about the government’s compensation scheme.

Following hearings in May, Sir Brian concluded that the way government set up the compensation scheme through its largely anonymous expert group was the ‘opposite of transparent’. The report said trust in government had been weakened further by ‘the failures…to give people the dignity and respect they deserve’.

Sir Brian said this was not a moment to look back, and called on the government and the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) to listen to those infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal to ensure the scheme improved.

He said: ‘For decades people who suffered because of infected blood have not been listened to. Once again decisions have been made behind closed doors leading to obvious injustices.

‘The UK Government has known for years that compensation for thousands of people was inevitable and had identified many of those who should have it. But only 460 have received compensation so far and many, many more have not even been allowed to begin the process.

‘It is not too late to get this right. We are calling for compensation to be faster, and more than that, fairer.’

The main recommendations from the report are:

A registration scheme should open for everyone eligible for compensation.
When claims open up beyond those infected and registered on support schemes, claimants should be divided into three groups – people infected and never compensated, the deceased infected and people affected.
Claims should be dealt with in parallel, prioritising those at end of life and the elderly
HIV infections before 1 January 1982, the scheme’s current cut-off, should be eligible for compensation.
People with hepatitis C and B who received interferon treatment should be entitled to core awards at level 3 (cirrhosis or significant fibrosis).
Financial loss awards should not decrease from 2016 (when new treatment was introduced) if the claimant was already struggling to work due to ill health.
IBCA should create an advisory body of the affected and infected as well as specialist clinicians, its chair should attend IBCA board meetings.
Government should ‘reconsider’ excluding people who qualify for the ‘special category mechanism’ from the severe health condition award in the supplementary route.
Government should allow all qualified psychological and counselling professionals to provide evidence of severe psychological damage. Currently extra payments are restricted to those who received in-hospital care from a consultant psychiatrist.
On unethical testing awards, government should increase the amount (currently £10,000 or £15,000 for Treloar’s pupils) in line with ‘the general public’s sense of justice and fairness’.
IBCA should have discretion on approving unethical testing award, which should not be limited to a small list of hospitals, as is currently the case.
If an affected person dies between 21 May 2024 and 31 December 2029, their claim does not die with them but becomes part of their estate.
Newly bereaved partners should have support payments reinstated (they stopped on 31 March 2025) until they receive compensation. There should also be an option to continue payments in their compensation package.
More should be done to promote the availability of free legal and financial advice.
The need for date of diagnosis of hepatitis C should be removed from the compensation claim process.

The government said it was ‘reflecting carefully’ on the report and would give an update to MPs before the summer break. You can read the minister’s statement here. Unless these recommendations are implemented by the government and IBCA, nothing will change.

Kate Burt, Chief Executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: ‘Government’s failure to listen to those at the heart of the contaminated blood scandal has shamefully been exposed by the Infected Blood Inquiry yet again. This failure is exhausting, damaging and is stripping this community of its dignity. Now government must take urgent action to put this right by valuing those impacted by this scandal through a fair and fast compensation settlement. Only then can the infected blood community move on from the past and finally focus on what remains of their future.’

Sir Brian made clear that the inquiry would remain live until a parliamentary committee was set up to follow up and scrutinise recommendations, as he originally recommended in May 2024.