Ministers 'lacking in compassion' over victims of hepatitis C

Published on Wednesday 20 May 2009 21:04

THE UK government has "compounded the anguish" of thousands of haemophiliacs infected with HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood transfusions by failing to offer compensation, the chairman of an independent inquiry said yesterday.

Earlier this year, Lord Archer of Sandwell recommended substantial compensation for 4,670 haemophiliacs who received blood in the 1970s and 1980s and were infected with hepatitis C. Some 1,243 were also infected with HIV.

Nearly 2,000 people have died as a result of exposure to the tainted blood, and many suffer debilitating illness.

But yesterday, the government said it would increase payments only to those who contracted HIV, not to victims with hepatitis C, and it rejected calls to set up a statutory advisory panel to consult patients over the issue of blood product safety.

Lord Archer condemned the government's response as "deeply disquieting".

He said: "It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that humanitarian impulses have come a bad second to Treasury constraints."

He branded the funding for patients with HIV "paltry" and said the failure to increase help available to victims with hepatitis C was "sadly lacking in understanding and compassion".

In his report, Lord Archer asked for 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 (88,500), and those who contracted hepatitis C were paid on average 853,636 (750,000).

Health minister Dawn Primarolo said funding for two trusts set up for those infected with HIV through contaminated blood – the Macfarlane and Eileen trusts – would be increased to allow annual payments of 12,800 to each infected person.