Infected blood victim fears redress may never come

A woman who was infected with hepatitis C during the NHS contaminated blood scandal said she doubts she will live to see her compensation.

Sue Wathen, 70, from Raunds, Northamptonshire, contracted the virus from a blood transfusion and her infection went undiagnosed for more than 30 years.

An estimated 30,000 people were infected with HIV or hepatitis through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s, with more than 3,000 deaths recorded.

Ms Wathen said: "It's far from over – just because the inquiry finished its final report doesn't mean it's over. All of us are frustrated and I'm not convinced I will get any compensation in my lifetime."

The Infected Blood Inquiry, which concluded last May, recommended immediate compensation.

The government established the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) to oversee payments, with nearly £12bn allocated.​

However, by mid-March, only 40 compensation offers had been accepted, totalling more than £44m, according to government figures.

Ms Wathen added: "At the moment, I'm at the stage where I'm waiting to be invited to apply for compensation. The government are telling us it's random choices, a lottery whether you're chosen.​

"The people who are much more seriously ill have no priority over those who aren't seriously ill or much younger. It's all very random and I don't think it's what Sir Brian [Langstaff] intended."​

The IBCA said it would prioritise the claims of people who have been told by a medical professional that they have less than 12 months to live.

Matthew Harris, from Brixworth, Northamptonshire, was also infected with Hepatitis C and echoed the frustration: "I thought by 2025 it would all be done and dusted. I'm OK health-wise, but I get depressed now and again but what can you do?"

The IBCA said it planned to scale up claims processing in 2025 and would prioritise those already registered with support schemes.

It aimed to process the majority of infected individuals' claims by the end of 2027, and affected individuals' claims by the end of 2029, it added.

The infected blood inquiry is holding two more days of hearings amid concerns about the government's response on compensation.

The hearings are scheduled for 7 and 8 May, with minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds and senior IBCA officials expected to give evidence.

The government said it was "fully-committed" to cooperating with the inquiry.

A government spokesperson said it was continuing to act on the inquiry's recommendations, adding: "The victims of this scandal have suffered unspeakably."

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