Brian Langstaff, a retired judge who is presiding over this inquiry, which opened in September 2018, advised the government that “an interim payment is made, without delay, to all infected persons and bereaved partners (…) The amount must not be less than £100,000“, or 119,000 euros.
Thousands of people with hemophilia had contracted hepatitis C and HIV after receiving blood transfusions from the United States, under the supervision of the NHS, the British public health service.
A representative for victims, attorney Des Collins, welcomed the recommendations.
“Although it comes too late for the thousands of people who tragically died in the years following their infection, it is a welcome development for some of those who are still living with the terrible consequences of this preventable medical error.“, did he declare.
He added that he was now waiting for the government’s response to these recommendations.
Britain’s High Court of Justice has allowed victims of the scandal to launch a class action claim for damages
The decision to open a public inquiry to shed light on this tragedy was taken in 2017 by the British government.
A previous inquiry concluded in 2009 found that the government should have acted sooner to boost Britain’s blood supply and end dependency on imports.
It had led to the establishment of a system of compensation for victims, but no trial had been undertaken and responsibilities had not been established.
In September 2017, the UK High Court of Justice allowed the victims of the scandal to launch a class action claim for damages.
With AFP
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