‘Absolutely incorrect’ that victims of contaminated blood scandal waited a long time for solutions | Politics | News | EUROtoday

tT is “absolutely wrong” that victims of the contaminated blood scandal have waited a long time for solutions, a Cabinet Minister has admitted it

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps described how households impacted by the worst therapy catastrophe within the historical past of the NHS have been let down “for far too long”.

He made the comments ahead of Monday’s long-awaited public inquiry report into the blood scandal which saw tens of thousands of people infected with contaminated blood or blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s.

Mr Shapps said: “The fact it’s taken decades and decades to get to this point of course is absolutely wrong.

“I think it has taken far too long to get to this. A problem that has gone on for decades.”

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to unveil a £10billion compensation package for the victims of the saga this week.

Around 3,000 people given infected blood by the health service over that period have already died.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said on Sunday the cases were one of the most shameful failures of government he had seen.

Asked if the process of compensation had taken too long, even in recent years, Mr Shapps said: “Yes, I feel it has been too sluggish, in fact I do.”

It had been a “huge injustice which must be put proper” and ministers would act on the report, he added.

He could not confirm if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will offer a public apology for the scandal on behalf of the British government but said there will be a “full response”.

People affected by the contaminated blood scandal rallied collectively for a ultimate time this afternoon earlier than the ultimate report into the scandal will get revealed.

It was not till 2017, underneath Theresa May, that an official inquiry into the well being care failure was arrange, following years of campaigning by victims.

Mr Hunt informed how he promised to “sort” a good and full settlement throughout a gathering with campaigner Mike Dorricott in 2014.

Mr Dorricott was 46 on the time, and had discovered simply weeks earlier than assembly Mr Hunt that he had terminal liver most cancers – a illness linked to the hepatitis C he contracted as a young person from contaminated Factor 8 blood merchandise.

After telling his household the information that he solely had months to stay, he visited the then well being secretary, Mr Hunt, in Whitehall.

He informed the long run Chancellor he was indignant that contaminated sufferers and their households had not acquired a full and honest settlement.

Towards the tip of the assembly, Mr Hunt shook his hand and mentioned: “Don’t worry about this, we’ll sort it.”

Just just a few months later, Mr Dorricott died, aged simply 47.

Mr Hunt mentioned: “I imagine after that meeting that Mike thought that he’d been fobbed off by yet another politician giving him the runaround. But what Mike didn’t know was that he really had made a huge impression on me.”

The cash might be funded via Government borrowing.

Mr Hunt added that the Government would look “very sympathetically” on any request from the victims or households for a nationwide memorial.

Mr Dorricott’s widow, Ann, 57, mentioned that the announcement “brings me solace”.

She added: “It brings me solace to know that even in death, Mike continues to make a difference.

“He was a pillar of strength, fighting for justice until his last breath and his absence is deeply felt every day.

“I know that Mike always held Jeremy Hunt in high regard, and even though it has taken 10 years, he would be pleased that justice is finally being delivered to the victims.”

Shadow well being secretary Wes Streeting mentioned “successive governments” bear accountability for the “appalling” contaminated blood scandal.

He mentioned: “I have not seen the report yet but I would anticipate that Sir Brian Langstaff is going to criticise successive governments.

“Everyone has got their responsibility to bear in this appalling scandal and we have got a shared responsibility to put it right.”

Up to six,000 folks with haemophilia and different bleeding problems had been contaminated with hepatitis and 1,250 of those had been co-infected with each hepatitis and HIV.

Of the group who had been contaminated with each hepatitis C and HIV, solely round 250 are nonetheless alive at the moment.

Speaking forward of the inquiry, a Government spokesperson mentioned: “This was an appalling tragedy that never should have happened.

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

“This includes establishing a new body to deliver an Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, confirming the Government will make the required regulations for it within three months of Royal Assent, and that it will have all the funding needed to deliver compensation once they have identified the victims and assessed claims.

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

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