Compensation to be set out on Tuesday could cost taxpayers more than £10bn. Over 30,000 infected with HIV and hepatitis C due to contaminated blood. READ MORE:Rishi Sunak will apologise to infected-blood victims today, as a devastating report blames successive governments and the NHS for the scandal.
The moves come as former High Court judge Sir Brian Langstaff today publishes the long-awaited findings of a public inquiry which was launched in 2018, with an estimated 710 more victims having died since the hearings began.Pictured: Portraits of people who have died or been affected by the infected blood scandal are put up as campaigners met in Parliament Square in London on May 19
Most of those infected were people who received treatment for blood disorders such as haemophilia and those who had blood transfusions. Rishi Sunak will apologise to infected-blood victims on Monday, as a devastating report blames successive governments and the NHS for the scandalMr Hunt has signed off on the compensation scheme, although the final bill will not be known until a new committee has established a framework for payments.
Downing Street was tight-lipped about the content of the PM's response last night, but he is expected to apologise on behalf of the Government. Appearing in front of the inquiry last summer, the PM said the 'appalling tragedy' should never have happened. The moves come as former High Court judge Sir Brian Langstaff will publishes the long-awaited findings of a public inquiry on Monday
Others hit by the scandal include thousands given blood transfusions between 1970 and 1991. High-profile victims include Body Shop founder Anita Roddick and Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies's mother Sheila, who both contracted hepatitis C following transfusions of infected blood.The son of a top blood specialist has told how health officials dismissed his warnings about the safety of new transfusions in the early days of the scandal.