Victim says infected blood scheme 'hard to fathom'

Tony Farrugia said he was 14 when his father Barry died of Aids aged 37 in 1986

A retired welder whose father and uncles were victims of the infected blood scandal has complained about a "lack of communication" over compensation.

Tony Farrugia , 52, of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, said the government had placed information on a website in ways that were extremely hard to follow.

The website made it clear that there was an email address and phone number for people needing help, a Cabinet Office spokeswoman said.

Sir Robert Francis, interim chairman of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, has said his ambition was to start rolling out payments by the end of the year.

Tony Farrugia said an 'excellent day' had been 'marred'

Mr Farrugia, a widowed father-of-two, said trying to "fathom" what the compensation scheme meant had been "really difficult".

He told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire that Monday, when apologies and announcements were made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, was an "excellent" day when the "truth" was finally out, but it had been "marred".

Mr Farrugia said he was 14 when his father, Barry, died of Aids, aged 37 in 1986.

Two uncles had subsequently died after becoming infected when in their 60s.

He said the government had placed information on a website in a way which left victims and relatives trying to "fathom" what the compensation scheme meant.

'Hard to follow'

"The government have now announced the compensation package and put lots of documents online," he said.

"You really have to go into the documents and read through.

"We kind of managed to fathom out what this could mean to us now."

Mr Farrugia added: "[Monday] was an excellent day. The truth was finally out there.

"We have been vindicated for what has happened to our family.

"But unfortunately that's been marred today by this lack of communication, I feel, over the compensation.

"The way it's been laid on to the website has been extremely hard to follow for a lot of people who are traumatised."

'Complicated subject'

Sir Robert told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that an organisation with between 1,000 and 2,000 staff would probably be set up.

"I need to discuss the government's proposals on compensation with the infected blood community," he said.

"Obviously it is a complicated subject. We need to have the confidence of the community."

He added that people had waited "far too long" for compensation.

"The ambition is to have payments starting to roll out by the end of this year," he said.

"We have got a big job to do."