Blackburn man infected with HIV by tainted blood slams Government (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Blackburn man infected with HIV by tainted blood slams Government
5:34pm Tuesday 11th January 2011 in Blackburn
INFECTED: Haemophiliac ‘John Smith’ contracted HIV during a blood transfusion
A HAEMOPHILIAC infected with HIV in the ‘Tainted Blood’ scandal has branded the Government 'a disgrace' for refusing to pay compensation.
John Smith (not his real name) will get just £90 a year to pay for his prescriptions in a £130million package of support for victims.
Mr Smith contracted the disease and HIV when given contaminated blood to treat haemophilia, a rare inherited disorder which means blood does not clot properly.
One of the worst treatment disasters in NHS history, the blunders in the 1970s and 1980s has since led to almost 2,000 deaths. Some 4,670 people were infected with Hepatitis C and 1,243 of those got HIV.
This week the Government announced that patients with Hepatitis C who develop serious liver conditions will now see their lump sum payments double from £25,000 to £50,000, with a new annual payment of £12,800.
The ex-gratia scheme will include posthumous payments to the families of Hepatitis C sufferers who died before August 29, 2003.
But people like Mr Smith will simply get £90 a year to pay his prescriptions because he has not yet developed serious liver problems.
The 56-year-old man from Blackburn, said: “I am disgusted.
“If you compare it to the outcome of the southern Ireland case, where patients received £350,000 on average. It’s just a farce."
Mr Smith said the fight for compensation was not over.
He said: “They have still not admitted liability. This is not justice.”
An independent inquiry recommended that payments in the UK should match those in the Republic of Ireland.
But this was ruled out by the Government, which claimed such a scheme could cost more than £3billion.
Mr Lansley told MPs there was a fundamental legal difference between the situation in Ireland, where blame was admitted by the authorities, and the UK.
He said: “In this country we are not providing compensation, we are literally recognising the harm that has occurred."
Comments(15)
wing commander bomber harris
says...
6:34pm Tue 11 Jan 11
PK Bailey
says...
6:59pm Tue 11 Jan 11
martintheaker
says...
9:18am Wed 12 Jan 11
PK Bailey wrote:PK Bailey, most compensations are made in staged payments and are subject to review (such as dying). Haemophiliacs with Hep 'C' cannot get life insurance to help those left behind after their death. The goverment has still not recognised this, and has instead put a price of £90 against the death sentence they inflicted upon so many innocent people.
I know this will be unpopular but just suppose we pay out £350000 and that person dies of a car accident do we get our money back!No we wont, therefore you can only do what is being done at the morement and pay for the perscriptions for anyone infected.
JoshuaJ
says...
11:42am Wed 12 Jan 11
Just to clarify one major point in the Governments argument. A high court ruling last year stated that there was NO difference between the Southern Ireland and the U.K. circumstances. The government have chosen to ignore this finding.
'Mr Smith'
crayola brown
says...
1:01pm Wed 12 Jan 11
JoshuaJ
says...
2:12pm Wed 12 Jan 11
Previous governments have benefited from this stigma when it came to our claim for compensation.
'Mr Smith'
Walsh
says...
4:00pm Wed 12 Jan 11
PK Bailey wrote:Yes he might get hit by a meteor from outer space, he may contract Ebola, he may be victim of murder and so and on and on. This man needs the compensation that is owed to him, not silly arguments based on ill thought out probabilities.
I know this will be unpopular but just suppose we pay out £350000 and that person dies of a car accident do we get our money back!No we wont, therefore you can only do what is being done at the morement and pay for the perscriptions for anyone infected.
Lifeinthemix
says...
8:35pm Wed 12 Jan 11
Chris P Bacon
says...
11:15pm Wed 12 Jan 11
Lifeinthemix wrote:You wouldn't know the truth if it walked up to you in the street and slapped you in the face with a rotten haddock. That's evident by the self-satisfied, smug, long-winded incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo you try and impress us with.
ah bless the truth has been removed again....
JoshuaJ
says...
11:17pm Wed 12 Jan 11
Its NOT just me. Over 4,000 people were infected. These people are still dying at a rate in excess of one person per month!
The campaign for justice and proper compensation has been ongoing for the past 25 years.
Thank you all for your support.
Lifeinthemix
says...
11:18pm Wed 12 Jan 11
.
ah bless, are you under the impression I am trying to impress you.....?
.
JoshuaJ
says...
10:11am Thu 13 Jan 11
Saying that, victims are still dying at a rate in excess of one person per month.
Slimplynth
says...
9:47pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Q2. Why was my comment deleted?
Q3. Can I legally determine the above?
Q4. Is LITM just a figment of the editor's imagination? (did he complain - but why?)
Lifeinthemix
says...
11:46pm Thu 13 Jan 11
pinkfairyone says...
5:46pm Tue 11 Jan 11