This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/8059247.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Tainted blood compensation upped | Tainted blood compensation upped |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| More money is being made available in compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal in England. | More money is being made available in compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal in England. |
| Thousands of people in the UK using blood products, mainly those with haemophilia, were infected with HIV and hepatitis C during the 1970s and 1980s. | Thousands of people in the UK using blood products, mainly those with haemophilia, were infected with HIV and hepatitis C during the 1970s and 1980s. |
| Campaigners have said the level of compensation was too low and the means-testing system demeaning. | Campaigners have said the level of compensation was too low and the means-testing system demeaning. |
| But ministers stopped short of the full reform of the system which campaigners and an independent inquiry called for. | But ministers stopped short of the full reform of the system which campaigners and an independent inquiry called for. |
| Instead, they promised to pump extra money into the compensation scheme for people with HIV to double average annual payments to £12,800. | Instead, they promised to pump extra money into the compensation scheme for people with HIV to double average annual payments to £12,800. |
| The fund for people with hepatitis C, which works through a series of lump sum payments, has funding available until 2014. | The fund for people with hepatitis C, which works through a series of lump sum payments, has funding available until 2014. |
| The Tainted Blood campaign group described the changes as "insulting and degrading". | The Tainted Blood campaign group described the changes as "insulting and degrading". |
| 'Tragedy' | 'Tragedy' |
| The government's move was in response to a two-year independent privately-funded inquiry led by Lord Archer of Sandwell - ministers have always rejected demands for a full public inquiry. | The government's move was in response to a two-year independent privately-funded inquiry led by Lord Archer of Sandwell - ministers have always rejected demands for a full public inquiry. |
| Lord Archer's report, published in February, called the contaminated blood scandal an "horrific human tragedy". | Lord Archer's report, published in February, called the contaminated blood scandal an "horrific human tragedy". |
| Nearly 5,000 people were exposed to hepatitis C before the heat treating of blood products began in the mid 1980s. | Nearly 5,000 people were exposed to hepatitis C before the heat treating of blood products began in the mid 1980s. |
| Of these, more than 1,200 were also infected with HIV. | Of these, more than 1,200 were also infected with HIV. |
| Almost 2,000 of those people have since died as a result. | Almost 2,000 of those people have since died as a result. |
| Much of the contaminated blood is thought to have come from the US where it was taken from "skid row" donors, such as prison inmates, whose risk of infections was much higher than the general population. | Much of the contaminated blood is thought to have come from the US where it was taken from "skid row" donors, such as prison inmates, whose risk of infections was much higher than the general population. |
| Lord Archer said commercial interests appeared to have been given a higher priority than patient safety. | Lord Archer said commercial interests appeared to have been given a higher priority than patient safety. |
| However, he added the UK was slow to react in everything from becoming self-sufficient in blood products to recognising the scale of the problem. | However, he added the UK was slow to react in everything from becoming self-sufficient in blood products to recognising the scale of the problem. |
| Lord Archer called for a government-backed compensation scheme to replace the ones that are administered by charitable trusts, which victims have complained can be hard to access. | |
| He also wanted to see a committee of specialists be established to act as official advisers to ministers over on-going compensation claims and the treatment of victims. | He also wanted to see a committee of specialists be established to act as official advisers to ministers over on-going compensation claims and the treatment of victims. |
| This was again rejected by the government, which would only commit to meeting an official group of doctors and patients twice a year. | This was again rejected by the government, which would only commit to meeting an official group of doctors and patients twice a year. |
| A full public inquiry is being held in Scotland. | A full public inquiry is being held in Scotland. |