Calls grow in Westminster to deliver compensation for blood scandal victims this year

On Tuesday 5th December, victims and bereaved families of the Infected Blood Scandal will take to the streets of Westminster to demand that the government urgently act on the Infected Blood Inquiry's final compensation recommendations.

Conservative MPs Damian Green [Ashford], Richard Fuller [North East Bedfordshire], Jonathan Djanogly [Huntingdon], and Labour MPs Dame Diana Johnson [Kingston upon Hull North], Nia Griffith [Llanelli], Barbara Keeley [Worsley and Eccles South] and Catherine West [Hornsey and Wood Green] will join campaigners impacted by HIV & Hepatitis C-infected blood products as they hand-deliver letters to No 10 & No 11 Downing Street.

Campaigners will also protest outside The Treasury, Department of Health & Social Care and Cabinet Office.

In April, Inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff recommended that a full compensation scheme be operational before the end of this year and that interim payments of £100,000 should be made to each bereaved family. Eight months on, neither of those things has happened, and an estimated 59 victims have died since the publication of the April report. One victim dies every four days.

In his written introduction to the Kings Speech (page 7) this month, Rishi Sunak said: "We will also act swiftly in response to the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry – following the interim payments we have already made. The use of infected blood and blood products was an appalling tragedy and a dreadful failure. Those affected deserve proper recognition of their loss and pain, as well as appropriate action to address it."

The Prime Minister's words, whilst sympathetic, directly conflicted with the Inquiry's recommendation that compensation be implemented before the final report, due in March 2024. In his compensation report, Sir Brian said interim compensation payments to parents and children should be made now to "alleviate immediate suffering". In October 2022, the government made interim payments to those infected still alive and bereaved partners, leaving two-thirds of bereaved families without any compensation - Sir Brian said in April that it was "time to put this right".

The schedule for Factor 8’s day of action can be found below. We welcome the media to join us on the trail. A valid Press Card is required to join us in delivering letters to No 10 & No 11 Downing Street.

• Treasury Hand-Delivered Letters & Protest (12:15 - 12:30)
• Department of Health & Social Care Hand-Delivered Letters & Protest (12:45 - 13:15)
• Cabinet Office Hand-Delivered Letters & Protest (13:30 - 14:00)
• No 10 Downing Street Letter (14:15) - Jason Evans (Coventry), Tim Wratten & Gemma Holding (Ashford), Janine & Temple Jones (Birmingham), Chris Smith (Bedford). MP Damian Green, MP Diana Johnson, MP Richard Fuller, MP Barbara Keeley
• No 11 Downing Street Letter (15:00) - Tony Farrugia (St Neots), Suresh Vaghela (Leicester), Sue Sparkes (Cardiff), Neil Weller (Banbury), Rosemary Calder (Northampton), Kevin Roberts. MP Jonathan Djanogly, MP Catherine West