Campaigners gather outside Westminster the day before the Infected Blood Inquiry findings are released
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to issue an apology following the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry.
The inquiry will conclude today with the final findings expected to be released at 12:30 BST, which will expose the scale of the failings.
It has been predicted that the government’s compensation package will be more than £10bn, with the report estimating that one person dies every four days in the UK from infected blood.
The scandal concerns over 30,000 people who were infected with deadly viruses, such as HIV and hepatitis C, between the 1970s and 80s as a result of contaminated blood products.
Around 3,000 people are believed to have died after victims were given contaminated blood transfusions or products which were often taken from prisoners in US jails and not screened before use.
This is one of the largest public inquiries in the UK to date and was ordered by Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017. Since then, over 370 people have given oral evidence and over 5,000 witness statements have been submitted.
The inquiry chairman, Sir Brian Langstaff previously stated that “wrongs were done at individual, collective and systemic levels”.
Campaigners have hailed the publication of the report as the “end of a 40-year fight”.
Speaking to City News at a vigil in Westminster yesterday, campaigner Jo Vincent told City News: “(I) had a blood transfusion in 1988, five weeks after I gave birth to my daughter and 27 years later I found out I had hepatitis C”.
Ms Vincent said she was originally misdiagnosed by doctors.
“The doctor said, ‘you’ve got to stop drinking’, I said, ‘I have stopped drinking’, and that went on for two years until they finally gave me a test for hepatitis C”.
Government officials have already confirmed that interim payments will be paid to the “estates of the deceased infected people who were registered with existing or former support schemes”.
Victims and campaigners will hold two press conference at 12.40 BST and at 13:30 BST following the publication of the report. The inquiry’s chairman, Brian Langstaff will then give a statement without questions at 14:00 BST.
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HeadlineInfected blood inquiry: PM expected to apologise after findings
Short HeadlineInfected blood inquiry: Campaigners to receive justice
StandfirstThe findings of the infected blood scandal will be released today, with campaigners hailing it as the "end of a 40-year fight".
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to issue an apology following the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry.
The inquiry will conclude today with the final findings expected to be released at 12:30 BST, which will expose the scale of the failings.
It has been predicted that the government’s compensation package will be more than £10bn, with the report estimating that one person dies every four days in the UK from infected blood.
The scandal concerns over 30,000 people who were infected with deadly viruses, such as HIV and hepatitis C, between the 1970s and 80s as a result of contaminated blood products.
Around 3,000 people are believed to have died after victims were given contaminated blood transfusions or products which were often taken from prisoners in US jails and not screened before use.
This is one of the largest public inquiries in the UK to date and was ordered by Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017. Since then, over 370 people have given oral evidence and over 5,000 witness statements have been submitted.
The inquiry chairman, Sir Brian Langstaff previously stated that “wrongs were done at individual, collective and systemic levels”.
Campaigners have hailed the publication of the report as the “end of a 40-year fight”.
Speaking to City News at a vigil in Westminster yesterday, campaigner Jo Vincent told City News: “(I) had a blood transfusion in 1988, five weeks after I gave birth to my daughter and 27 years later I found out I had hepatitis C”.
Ms Vincent said she was originally misdiagnosed by doctors.
“The doctor said, ‘you’ve got to stop drinking’, I said, ‘I have stopped drinking’, and that went on for two years until they finally gave me a test for hepatitis C”.
Government officials have already confirmed that interim payments will be paid to the “estates of the deceased infected people who were registered with existing or former support schemes”.
Victims and campaigners will hold two press conference at 12.40 BST and at 13:30 BST following the publication of the report. The inquiry’s chairman, Brian Langstaff will then give a statement without questions at 14:00 BST.
