Hopes North East Infected Blood Scandal victims get justice they deserve
Families are frustrated it's not being covered like the Post Office scandal
It is hoped more can be done to help victims of the Infected Blood Scandal in the North East to get the justice they deserve.
Almost 3,000 people have died, and their families as well as affected people, want ministers to address their fight too.
They are frustrated it is not getting the same attention as the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, as many are still waiting for compensation.
Ben Harrison, Head of Public Law at Milners, who have represented victims of the Infected Blood Scandal in the North East, said: "The victims of the Post Office scandal have suffered horrifically but this has gone on for much longer. This is 40 years now that people have been living with life-destroying infections, stigma, unable to get jobs, living in abject poverty whilst the Government knew full well their circumstances and did nothing to change it whatsoever.
"We've had the privilege to act on behalf of a number of haemophiliacs and their families who are infected with HIV and/or Hepititis C during the 70's and 80's. Fortunately, nearly all of my clients have benefitted from the interim compensation payments, which have helped, but comes nowhere near close to properly recompensing them for what's happened to them.
"The infected blood inquiry delivered an interim report on the 5th of April 2023, which is a comprehensive description of how the compensation framework should operate, that was nine months ago and the Government had originally promised to respond by late Autumn 2023. This has now been put back to March this year in-line with the inquiry's forthcoming report.
"There's a full spectrum of emotions being felt by our clients. There's obviously anger they've had to fight so hard over four decades to get to the point that they're now at. There's anger at the failures of Government and the medical professionals which led them to becoming infected in the first place, but there's also relief that there's now been a full-on and frank investigation of all the circumstances surrounding their infections. There's also a tinge of sadness that we're approaching the conclusion of the inquiry."