Chair appointed to committee dedicated to national memorial for infected blood victims
The government has announced a significant expansion of the infected blood compensation scheme.
As we’ve been hearing, peoples’ claims will no longer die with them – meaning that the relatives of affected persons (see our previous post for the definition of this) can claim on their behalf, if they have died.
Around a thousand people will also be able to claim a higher amount of compensation, than they were originally were.
The modifys will also provide further compensation for those under the Infected Blood Support Scheme ‘Special Category Mechanism’, which is for those with chronic Hepatitis C who have experienced a significant impact on their ability to carry out daily duties.
Why are modifys being built now?
The modifys are being introduced following 16 recommfinishations from the Infected Blood Inquiry, which published its report earlier this month.
Nick Thomas-Symonds has stated the government has “concentrated on rerelocating barriers to quicker compensation”.
The Cabinet Office minister added: “Our focus as we shift forward must be working toobtainher to not only deliver justice to all those impacted, but also to restore trust in the state to people who have been let down too many times.”
He notified the Commons this evening that as of 15 July, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has contacted 2,215 people to launch their claims, and that 1,934 have started the process.
Thomas-Symonds added that 808 compensation offers have been built, totalling more than £602m – and that 587 of these have been accepted, with £411m paid in compensation.
This amounts to 60% of infected people registered with the compensation scheme having been contacted.
Chair of memorial committee appointed
The government has also announced that Clive Smith, the Haemophilia Society president, will chair the Infected Blood Memorial Committee.
He will lead work to create a national memorial to the victims of the Infected Blood Scandal, which will have a central site in the UK, with “support memorials” in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Smith stated that a memorial is “long overdue” and it is a “great privilege” to lead the committee.
He added: “I am conscious that we are already behind in relation to implementing the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommfinishation that community events be held on a 6-month basis post the Inquiry reporting. We intfinish to correct that by the finish of this year.”
He concluded that the memorial will also be a testament to “what can happen when patient safety is not prioritised”.
Smith’s committee will also create plans for commemorative events, the first of which is to be held by the finish of the year.
