 Right Hon Andrew Lansley MP, the Secretary of State for Health, has this week announced a new compensation package for patients who have developed Hepatitis C as a result of receiving contaminated blood transfusions.
On Monday 10th January Mr Lansley told Parliament he would boost the support of Hepatitis C patients by £130 million pounds. This translates for each individual as:
- A recurrent flat rate annual payment of £12,800 for each living person who is infected with Hepatitis C who has serious liver disease and additional payments for their dependants.
- The lump-sum payment will be increased from £25,000 to £50,000 for those most seriously affefted by the disease, and these payments will not be taxed or affect entitlements to benefits or social care.
- All Hepatitis C patients will receive free prescriptions.
Mr Lansley acknowledged that while there are 'different views on the precise sums of money that are appropriate to the varying circumstances of infected individuals' he hoped that the new payments would help to "alleviate the anxiety and distress they and their families have experienced" as a result of this tragedy.
In the 1970s and 1980s there were around 1200 patients who became infected with both HIV and Hepatitis C after receiving blood that was taken from prostitutes and drug addicts who had the virus. Approximately 800 of these patients have since died, many of them prematurely as a result of the infected they contracted.
Glenda Jackson MP praised the victims and families who have been fighting tirelessly to have their case heard and congratulated them on receiving what she hopes may ease the pain caused by this difficult issue.
If you contracted Hepatitis C through treatment in England with a blood transfusion or blood products, or is a family member of someone who did, you may be eligible under the new arrangements. Please contact the Skipton Fund:
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