The Government established the Inquiry in 2017, a decision I wholeheartedly supported as thousands of people who expected treatment in our world-class NHS were failed. This is a scandal that never should have happened. The Terms of Reference for the Inquiry are incredibly vast and will cover why patients were given contaminated products; the family impact this has had; how the authorities and the Government has continued to respond; the support available; and whether there was any form of cover-up.
This Inquiry was judge-led by Sir Brian Langstaff QC with an Expert Panel of over 1,300 members, including victims of the scandal. It ended its Inquiry in March 2026.
READ MORE:
Final Report: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-10081/CBP-10081.pdf
FAQs: https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/support-and-faqs
Update - May 2024 - Publication of Final Inquiry
Sir Brian Langstaff’s Report finds a catalogue of systemic, collective and individual failures and I welcome the huge amount of work he has done to make sure people get the answers they rightly deserve. I know the whole Government recognises the suffering of all victims and the distress and trauma people have wrongly continually faced because of this tragedy. I welcome the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that what took place in this scandal was a complete failure of the British state that should and could have been avoided and I welcome his apology on behalf of this and every Government stretching back to the 1970s. I also want to say that I personally am truly sorry how this has affected so many people.
I am pleased to confirm that following the publication of the Final Report that whilst no measures can or will ever fully compensate for the losses and hardships suffered, the Government is now going to provide significant financial compensation for this scandal. Ministers are now establishing the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to deliver this and I welcome the appointment of Sir Robert Francis KC as the interim chair of the organisation. The experience and care that Sir Robert has shown in this area will ensure that the scheme is credible and trusted.
To be clear, if you have been directly or indirectly infected by NHS blood, blood products or tissue contaminated with HIV or hepatitis C or have developed a chronic infection from blood contaminated with hepatitis B, you will be eligible to claim compensation under the scheme. Where an infected person has sadly died but would have been eligible under those criteria, compensation will be paid to their estate. This will include where a person was infected with hepatitis B and died during the acute period of infection. The wrongs suffered by those affected must also be compensated for so when a person with an eligible infection has been accepted on to the scheme, their affected loved ones will be able to apply for compensation in their own right. I can confirm that means that partners, parents, siblings, children, friends and family who have acted as carers for those who were infected are all eligible to claim.
A Care Award will be directly awarded to the person with the infection or to their estate. Secondly, the Financial Loss Award will be paid either directly to the person with the infection or to their estate. Multiple Injury Awards will be offered to reflect the scale of the loss and suffering. The scheme will be tariff-based. The Inquiry recommended that the scheme should be flexible in its awards of compensation, providing for either a lump sum or regular payments and I am pleased the Government has committed to this. I welcome the commitment that over the next few weeks Sir Robert will seek views from the infected blood community on the proposed scheme before its terms are set in regulations, to make sure the scheme will best serve those who it is intended for. Any payments made to those eligible will be exempt from income, capital gains and inheritance tax, as well as disregarded from means-tested benefit assessments.
Any claimants will be able to appeal against their award both through an internal review process in the Infected Blood Compensation Authority and where needed with a right to appeal to a first-tier tribunal. I was pleased to see the Minister confirm his expectation that final payments will start before the end of the year. I understand however the urgency of this issue which is why I welcome that the Government will be making further interim payments ahead of the establishment of the full scheme. Payments of £210,000 will be made to living infected beneficiaries and to the estates of those who sadly die between now and payments being made. I know that time is of the essence which is why I am also pleased they will be delivered within 90 days, starting in the summer, so that they can reach those who most need it so urgently.