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 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Tainted blood compensation upped | Tainted blood compensation upped |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| More money is being made available in compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal. | More money is being made available in compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal. |
| 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. |
| I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to all those who suffered in this tragic episode Dawn Primarolo, public health minister | I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to all those who suffered in this tragic episode Dawn Primarolo, public health minister |
| 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 after which it will be reviewed. | The fund for people with hepatitis C, which works through a series of lump sum payments, has funding available until 2014 after which it will be reviewed. |
| Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to all those who suffered in this tragic episode. | Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to all those who suffered in this tragic episode. |
| "Sadly, it was not possible to effectively test for these viruses in the 1970s and early 80s and we deeply regret that these events occurred following NHS treatment." | "Sadly, it was not possible to effectively test for these viruses in the 1970s and early 80s and we deeply regret that these events occurred following NHS treatment." |
| 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. | |
| But the Tainted Blood campaign group described the changes as "insulting and degrading". | But the Tainted Blood campaign group described the changes as "insulting and degrading". |
| And Chris James, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, said the response showed "contempt" towards the victims. | |
| "The government talks of moral responsibility but has seen fit to try to ignore or water-down Lord Archer's recommendations. It is simply unacceptable for ministers to propose such a collection of half measures." | |
| 'Tragedy' | 'Tragedy' |
| 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. | 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. |
| Meanwhile, the government has also revealed more than 800 people have a heightened risk of vCJD. | Meanwhile, the government has also revealed more than 800 people have a heightened risk of vCJD. |
| The group, again mostly people with haemophilia, received blood products from a donor who went on to develop the brain disease. | The group, again mostly people with haemophilia, received blood products from a donor who went on to develop the brain disease. |
| It comes after a man in his seventies died with traces of vCJD in his spleen. His death was due to an unrelated cause, but he was thought to have been the first person to have got the brain disease from contaminated blood. | It comes after a man in his seventies died with traces of vCJD in his spleen. His death was due to an unrelated cause, but he was thought to have been the first person to have got the brain disease from contaminated blood. |