Fight for justice for infected blood victims will go to Europe

May 21 2009 by Sara Nichol, The Journal

A NORTH East campaigner last night vowed to use the Human Rights Act to fight the Government’s decision not to award compensation to victims of an infected blood scandal.

Some 4,670 haemophiliacs who received blood transfusions in the 1970s and 1980s were infected with hepatitis C – with 1,243 of those also infected with HIV.

For years the NHS used imported blood from the US to treat haemophiliacs. It was often collected from paid “skid row” donors such as prison inmates who were more likely to have HIV and hepatitis. Nearly 2,000 people have died as a result of exposure to the tainted blood.

In 2000, The Journal launched its Bad Blood campaign which demand a public inquiry into how and why contaminated blood products were allowed into Britain.

Earlier this year Lord Archer of Sandwell issued a string of recommendations after a two-year independent inquiry into the scandal, branded “the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS”.

He suggested a Government apology, a statutory advisory panel and compensation at least equal to that paid to patients in Ireland where those infected with HIV from contaminated blood received up to 101,000, and those who contracted hepatitis C were paid on average 853,636.

But yesterday Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announcing the Government’s response rejected campaigners’ demands for substantial compensation payments.

Ministers agreed that funding for two trusts set up for those infected with HIV through contaminated blood would be increased to allow annual payments of £12,800 to each infected person but they offered no extra cash for those infected with hepatitis C

The move outraged campaigners who have vowed to take their fight to Europe.

Carol Grayson, who lost her haemophiliac husband Peter Longstaff after he contracted HIV and hepatitis C, said the Government’s actions were “disgusting”.

The 49-year-old, of Jesmond, said: “I’m very, very angry that the Government has once again got away with it and not dealt with the issue.

“If you look at the payments that were received by the victims in Ireland, it’s just disgusting.