Infected blood scandal victim's compensation call

Glenn Wilkinson was infected with Hepatitis C from infected blood

A Hull man who was infected with Hepatitis C from infected blood has said that significant compensation needs to be paid out.

The final inquiry report into what is considered to be the worst treatment disaster in the history of the health service is due on Monday 20 May.

More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products, from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

Victim Glenn Wilkinson said it had “devastated” his life.

Around 3,000 people given infected blood by the health service have already died.

Most of those affected were people with blood disorders, such as haemophilia, or people who had received blood transfusions.

Due to a shortage of blood products in the UK, many were obtained from the US and had been bought from high-risk donors, such as prisoners and people who misused drugs.

Mr Wilkinson told the programme that he was infected during a tooth extraction in 1983. He said he has progressive liver disease and has been treated over the years with aggressive cancer drugs on four separate occasions, each lasting for many months.

'Disgraceful'

He told Politics North that he has been fighting for justice for many years. He said: “I want to see plans put in place to make sure this never happens again.

"And if any other scandals happen in the future to make sure that people don't have to spend their whole lives fighting for justice."

Dame Diana Johnson, MP for Hull North, also appeared on the programme and said it had taken persistence over years and years to get justice.

She said: “It shouldn’t have to be like this. It’s disgraceful that it’s taken over 50 years now to get to this point where we might actually have some answers.”

Mr Wilkinson said that some victims won’t feel that they’ve received justice unless some prosecutions take place.

As regards compensation, Mr Wilkinson added: "It’s very difficult to put a figure on it in financial terms. But there does need to be significant compensation paid out.”

Justice needed

A spokesperson from the government was asked to appear on the programme, but instead, the Cabinet Office released a statement. It read: "This should never have happened and justice needs to be done quickly.

"A new body has been established to deliver the blood compensation scheme. It will have all the funds needed to deliver the compensation once they’ve identified the victims and assessed claims.”

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