Cambridgeshire man says infected blood scandal report "not the end" for victims

Stuart Cantrill's dad died in the 1980s after being infected with contaminated blood

Stuart Cantrill
Author: Dan MasonPublished 14th May 2024

A Cambridgeshire man impacted by the infected blood scandal has said it has changed his life.

Stuart Cantrill lost his dad Barrie after he became one of more than 30,000 people in the UK infected with HIV and Hepatitis C who were given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

Barrie was 48 when he died, with Stuart just 15-years-old.

"As a 15-year-old, your world has just caved in"

Stuart said his dad was taken to hospital after fracturing his hip around six to seven weeks before he died in August 1989.

"I wouldn't not want to be married or have my daughter, but the path my life has taken has been very different to what it would have been had my dad not been infected with HIV," Stuart said.

"It's not just what you read in the papers these days, you see more things on social media and you learn this didn't just happen to you, but as a 15-year-old boy, your world has just caved in around you and you don't stop to think 'this is a bigger problem'.

"He died when he was 48, but walked like he was 70"

Barrie, one of five siblings, lived with haemophilia, an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly.

Stuart said he couldn't do many physical activities with his dad, but was still able to enjoy time with him.

"We loved playing pool and snooker, which didn't require a huge amount of physical activity, but there wasn't any rough and tumble," Stuart recalled.

"He died when he was 48, but he walked like he was 70."

When is the report being published?

A UK-wide inquiry into the infected blood scandal was announced in 2017, and was led by former judge Sir Brian Langstaff.

Victims and their relatives were to be told of the findings in autumn last year, but after a delay to March this year, the report is now due to be published on 20th May.

Sir Brian said more time was needed to prepare "a report of this gravity".

"The overwhelming feeling is one of anger"

Stuart said he still feels angry about the scandal, but wants a solution to be worked on.

"I guess the overwhelming feeling is one of anger, but I'm keen for this to be over, but over in a sense that finally, it's recognised what did happen," he added.

"That isn't the end (the report), that's kind of the beginning of the end because there still needs to be redress, an acknowledgement of what's been done but some kind of compensation.

"It's destroyed some people's lives and I think there has to be some practical financial compensation for that."

What does the government say?

A government spokesperson said the scandal was "an appalling tragedy" and is planning to set up a scheme to help victims.

"We are clear that justice needs to be done and swiftly, which is why have acted in amending the Victims and Prisoners Bill," they said.

“This includes establishing a new body to deliver an Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, confirming the Government will make the required regulations for it within 3 months of Royal Assent.

"That it will have all the funding needed to deliver compensation once they have identified the victims and assessed claims."

The Government says it has paid over £400 million in interim compensation payments, providing £100,000 to those infected or bereaved partners registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Schemes since 2022.

It is also due to give an update to Parliament on next steps within 25 sitting days of the Inquiry’s final report being published.

“In addition, we have included a statutory duty to provide additional interim payments to the estates of deceased infected people," the spokesperson added.

“We will continue to listen carefully to the community as we address this dreadful scandal."

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