A leading health charity has launched a scathing attack on government proposals for compensating victims of unethical medical research linked to the infected blood scandal, branding the suggested sums as "ridiculous" and "wholly inadequate".
Charity Voices 'Profound Concerns' Over Payouts
The Hepatitis C Trust has expressed what it calls "profound concerns" about the compensation framework being developed for those subjected to experiments without their consent. At the heart of the criticism are proposed one-off payments, initially suggested at £15,000 and later revised to £25,000, which the charity argues fail to address the lifelong suffering endured.
This issue is particularly acute for a group of former pupils with haemophilia at Lord Mayor’s Treloar’s College in Hampshire during the 1970s and 1980s. These children were treated by NHS clinicians who, according to a damning public inquiry report published in May 2024, used them as "objects for research".
A Legacy of Harm and Delayed Justice
The inquiry found that pupils at the specialist school were given "multiple, riskier" treatments as part of clinical studies, with many later dying from infections including HIV and hepatitis C contracted from contaminated blood products. The report starkly outlined how their welfare was secondary to research objectives.
Compounding the anguish for victims and their families are ongoing delays in potential criminal investigations. The National Police Chiefs’ Council has yet to provide a clear timeline for any probes, leaving many in a prolonged state of uncertainty while awaiting the possibility of legal accountability.
Mounting Pressure for Fair Resolution
The charity's intervention adds significant weight to the campaign for a just settlement. Campaigners argue that the one-off payment model is insulting to those who endured a lifetime of illness, stigma, and loss due to being part of unethical medical research practices.
The infected blood scandal is widely considered the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, affecting tens of thousands who received contaminated blood and blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. The fight for comprehensive compensation and full accountability continues, with this latest criticism highlighting the deep flaws in current government proposals for those subjected to research.
