Cachella Smith
Reporting from the inquiry

Today's special session of the Infected Blood Inquiry has concluded.

This morning, a panel of campaigners and victims came together to express their deep frustration at the government's compensation scheme - one described it as "disgraceful", another suggested it created a "tier of victimhood".

It comes a year after the inquiry released its final report into the infected blood scandal, which found victims of the scandal had been failed "not once, but repeatedly". More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the special session today, the inquiry heard harrowing testimony, with one person saying their "anguish is beyond words".

Victims called for several changes to be made to the compensation scheme, including for greater parity and transparency. They told the inquiry "we don't have time on our side" amid fears that some will die before they are granted compensation.

Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds apologised again to victims on behalf of the UK, and set out the government's priorities to deliver compensation as speedily as possible - but said he would not make changes that would cause "delay".

A spokesperson previously said the government's "committed" to cooperating with the inquiry.

We're ending our live coverage now, thanks for following along.

Cachella Smith
reporting from the Inquiry

Owen McLaughlin's dad died at the age of 34 after having contracted HIV and Hepatitis C - he had been a pupil at Treloar's College and had haemophilia.

Owen was 19 when he died. He describes some of the stigma his dad experienced at the time, including when "people would cross the street to avoid someone who had HIV".

"My parents were told we had to go into care because the risk [that we might catch it] while living at home was too great. Thankfully we managed to avoid that by having my grandparents step in."

This morning's evidence he says was "very interesting" to hear the commonalities in the experiences.

Earlier today, I also spoke with Des Collins, from Collins Solicitors, who represents around 1,500 victims of the scandal - both those infected and affected.

He described today as a "useful exercise" in demonstrating the concerns about compensation - both to the chair of the inquiry and the wider public.

He told me there is a "widespread misconception" among the public that this was sorted out "months ago".

Instead, he said, he has never seen the community "so traumatised".

Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Inquiry

Anthony Farrugia was 14 when his father Barry died aged 37 in 1986.

He represents a group called the Fatherless Generation which supports children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the scandal.

Anthony had been invited on the publication of the inquiry's final report to the Speaker's Gallery to listen to the announcement of compensation.

Today, he says he is "bitterly disappointed".

Anthony tells me he feels the compensation is centred around what happened to his father but doesn't include the impact on him.

"We feel we are only being compensated for what they did to our parent and not the effect of that on the family member," he tells me.

He was placed in a children's home at the age of 18. He says the whole family was split up, with siblings in different children's homes and he didn't see his brothers for years.

• The inquiry is resuming and the Cabinet Office minister is answering questions submitted by victims and families - you can follow along by clicking Watch Liveat the top of this page

Hugh Pym
Health editor

Image source, PA Media

Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told the inquiry his priority -upon taking office- was to establish the Infected Blood Compensation Authority in late August last year.

Thomas-Symonds argued that he didn’t want to create delay by making fundamental changes to that authority, and had to ensure there was money available for compensation.

He was challenged by inquiry KC, Jenni Richards, on why campaign groups had not been consulted over the regulations of the compensation scheme.

Campaign groups argue the different levels of compensation are not acceptable and Richards said they had been devised by officials and were not in line with the inquiry’s earlier recommendations.

The minister said he would not carry out further consultation as a fundamental re-design might mean more laws were required.

The inquiry has now paused and will return shortly.

The inquiry is now being shown minutes from an expert group, which gave advice on the compensation scheme.

The lead counsel highlights a line that states the group "does not think it appropriate or proportionate" for victims to explain the impact of their condition on their lives.

This decision was then made, "without consulting a single applicant what they think about this proposition," Jenni Richards KC says, to which he agrees.

Richards asks "why?" and is met with laughter.

Cachella Smith
Reporting from the inquiry

Image source, Janet Stuart

Jan Stuart is here today for her brother Paul, who had haemophilia and died in 2020 after contracting HIV. He had been infected in 1979 and diagnosed in 1991.

"I'm just trying to uncover some of that truth that's been hidden," she tells me, "and which seems to still be hidden now with people hiding behind rhetoric and complicated schemes".

She says she feels "hopeful" after hearing from the panel this morning - everyone is "very much on the same page".

She adds that the "biggest thing" that is coming out is that the community were not involved in creating the compensation scheme.

"[That's] brought us to where we are today."

Image source, Infected Blood Inquiry

We're now seeing some documents that suggest those who were given infected blood before 1 January 1982 would not be eligible for compensation.

The lead counsel asks whether a child "experimented" on without his consent, who contracted AIDS, would not be eligible.

Thomas-Symonds says he is more than happy to go away and give "additional consideration" to this issue.

I would put to you there is a "fundamental flaw" in the government's thinking about this, the lead counsel says.

Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Inquiry

Nick Thomas-Symonds is now asked whether he will consider supplementary routes for those who have been affected - that would be relevant for those who can show that in addition to suffering the grief of losing a loved one, they have also suffered themselves.

This could be due to mental illness or an effect on their education or employment.

He responds he is "willing to look," but adds that he doesn't want to do things that delay the process any longer.

The lead counsel says it is "implausible" this would create further delay "given where we are with affected claims". She is met with applause.

Earlier, Thomas-Symonds confirmed the government will equip IBCA - the Infected Blood Compensation Authority - "with all resources necessary" to compensate appropriately.

"What can we do in terms of additional people, additional case workers - there are questions I'm asking IBCA," he says.

Lawyer Jenni Richards KC now asks the Cabinet Office minister about the timescale for the compensation, which she describes as a "profoundly unsatisfactory state of affairs".

The minister, Thomas-Symonds, agrees and says the objective should be to pay people as soon as possible.

He agrees that people are going to die without having ever received compensation.

Earlier, the minister was asked whether documents that record the government's decisions around the compensation and legislation "will be made public".

He says he will try and "push for transparency" on this.

There is another swell of laughter at the special session of the Infected Blood Inquiry as Jenni Richards KC repeats the question of whether the government will make changes to the compensation scheme.

"We are not proposing a consultation on the redesign of the scheme," he clarifies, saying he is not ruling out changes - but not ones that may delay payments going forward.

Richards then asks if the tariffs have been decided solely by the government, or a designated body, contrary to the inquiry's recommendations.

Thomas-Symonds says that is correct and it is a situation he "inherited". There are several groans in the room and the chair intervenes to ask the room to quieten down.

What does the government intend to do about the "deep and profound unhappiness" with the compensation scheme, lawyer Jenni Richards KC asks.

Cabinet Office Minister Thomas-Symonds says he has a made a "number of changes to the scheme," he says referencing points he made earlier.

He adds there is a "dilemma" with making changes to the compensation scheme as it may "create a delay" to issuing compensation payments.

Pressed on whether the government will undertake a formal consultation of the scheme and how IBCA processes compensation, the minister cannot give a yes or no answer.

It would depend on which aspects of the scheme we consult on, he says, adding it concerns him that big changes could lead to even more delays in payment.

Jim Reed
Reporting from the inquiry

Giving evidence, Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds just said that he agreed the public had been misled by the previous government about the speed it was setting up the infected blood compensation scheme.

Politically that is a significant point.

In April 2023 the inquiry published some interim recommendations saying that a final compensation framework should be set up “by the end of the year” - meaning December 2023.

That didn’t happen as the then Conservative government said it needed to wait for the inquiry's final report in May 2024 before taking that kind of action.

Campaigners and their lawyers say that, if a decision had been made to set up the scheme a year earlier, then victims may not be facing such long waits for compensation today.

Thomas-Symonds stressed he was not accusing Conservative ministers of misleading parliament, but he did suggest the wider public and infected blood victims had been misled.

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Thomas-Symonds, is now being asked about the culture within government that victims and campaigners experienced.

"There were a number of issues," he replies. "There were clearly issues with transparency and with the subject of candour."

This alludes the government's proposed 'Hillsborough Law', which would would force public bodies to co-operate with investigations into major disasters or potentially face criminal sanctions, and introduce a legal duty of candour on public bodies.

The law was meant to be introduced before the Hillsborough anniversary this year, but that has not happened. However, Thomas-Symonds says the government is "committed" to its implementation to prevent "pervasive cover up".

Earlier, in his opening statement, the minister said he made changes to the compensation scheme when assuming his role, including widening the scope of eligibility.

Image source, Infected Blood Inquiry

The inquiry is back from lunch and we're about to hear from Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds.

He is responsible for ensuring that all financial transactions are accurate and comply with the law and regulations.

He begins by apologising to victims on behalf of the state, and to all those affected who he said were "failed by the government" for years.

Stick with us and we'll bring you the latest updates here.

Jim Reed
Reporting from the inquiry

Image source, PA Media

In the morning session we heard a wide range of concerns and worries aired about the way the compensation scheme is operating.

Chief among them is speed: the authorities have said they are aiming to make the “bulk” of payments to those infected with HIV and hepatitis by the end of 2027 and then to those affected by the scandal, such as family members, by the end of 2029.

Campaigners say that is taking far too long, especially when some survivors and their relatives might be in their late 70s or 80s and fear they may not receive a lump sum in their lifetime.

If someone infected dies before their claim is approved, then the final compensation award can still be paid to their relatives after their death through their estate.

But that is not the case with payments to the affected such as the parents or children of victims. If they die before compensation is agreed, then their claim dies with them.

There are other specific concerns. Those infected, and on the government’s register, do receive regular payments to help with basic costs like food and accommodation.

If that person died before 31 March 2025, then their bereaved spouse could receive up to 75% of their support payment. That though has now been stopped – in theory to be replaced by the new compensation scheme.

Witnesses called that decision a “cruel and unusual punishment” and called for those payments to bereaved partners to be reinstated, at least until a final compensation award could be made in full.

We heard evidence this morning that some elderly widows in their 80s were still having to make mortgage payments and were struggling to pay other bills after the death of their loved ones.

Jim Reed
Health reporter

Image source, PA Media

The public inquiry into the infected blood scandal was announced by then prime minister Theresa May in 2017 and published its final report on 20 May 2024.

It found that around 30,000 NHS patients were exposed to "unacceptable risks" and that the scandal could have largely been avoided if different decisions had been made.

It listed a "catalogue of failures" including:

• Too little was done to stop importing risky blood products from the US, where groups such as prisoners and drug addicts were paid to donate
• It took too long to heat-treat blood products to eliminate viruses such as HIV and hepatitis C, even though the risks were known
• Some patients with bleeding disorders, including children, had been experimented on without their or their parents’ informed consent
• There had been a lack of openness by the authorities and elements of "downright deception," including the destroying of documents

The inquiry’s Chair, Brian Langstaff, concluded that the scandal was "not an accident" and the response of the authorities “compounded people’s suffering".

Rishi Sunak, who was prime minister when the report was published, described it as a “day of shame for the British state”.

For more, you can read our explainer from the time.

Image source, Reuters

In late 2022, following advice from the inquiry, the Conservative government made interim payments of £100,000 each to about 4,000 surviving victims and bereaved partners. A second interim payment of £210,000 was paid to those infected in June 2024.

In October 2024, the government said more relatives of those who died could also apply for £100,000 interim payments if the money had not already been claimed.

The IBCA said, as of 6 May:

• 677 people have been invited to claim final compensation
• 160 compensation payments totalling £150.2m have been offered
• 106 compensation payments totalling £96.6m have been made

An IBCA spokesman said its priority remained "paying as many people as soon as possible". It plans to ask an extra 100 individuals to start their claims every week from May 2025.

It has also announced that it would start to prioritise payments to those who had less than 12 months left to live, external, external due to any medical condition.

Victims and their relatives have criticised the time taken to make payments, and what they say is a lack of transparency about the claims process.

Read more: What is the infected blood scandal and how much compensation will victims get?

Citing Hillsborough and Grenfell among other public scandals, Kate Burt, from The Haemophilia Society, says the "defensive nature" of the civil service and the government "needs to end".

Reading from another panellist's recommendations, Samantha May from the Hepatitis C Trust, adds the cut off date for excluded victims should be "recognised quickly".

"I don't want an infected person's claims to die with them," she says.

The Hepatitis C community request discretion from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) on individual cases, she adds. "Everybody needs to be approached as an individual."

Everybody alive now should "absolutely be eligible to claim," she finishes.

Chair Brian Longstaff thanks the panellists for their contributions and for "shouldering" the burden for so many people.

The inquiry will now break for lunch and resume at 14:30.

A "reasonable" timeline should be provided to victims, Nigel Hamilton of Haemophilia Northern Ireland continues.

Hamilton received contaminated blood products during an operation in the 1970s.

Gary Webster, who was infected with HIV and hepatitis C, says psychiatrists and the evidence of psychotherapists should be used during assessments for compensations.

William Wright, who was given infected blood in 1986, says "any decent human being of a minister" should be "knocking on our doors" to see how they can move the process.

The board of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) should be shaped by the victims and campaigners, and there should be flexibility surrounding its policies.

He repeats earlier calls for the group's "wealth of expertise" to be used to revaluate the tariffs.

Cachella Smith
Reporting from the inquiry

Campaigner Mary Grindley now talks of the perception of the general public around the current stage of the inquiry.

"The general public don't know what's happening here," she says and murmurs of "no" could be heard from those watching.

Mary says she's been asked "isn't that done and dusted" - her comment is met with "yes" from those watching.

Mary then turns to where the press are sitting, asking them to report "properly" so that the public understand what is going on.

The inquiry chair later noted that the BBC was reporting on similar comments earlier this morning.