Infected Blood Scandal

Emma Foody, Member of Parliament for Cramlington and Killingworth, spoke in the House of Commons to welcome action from the Labour government to ensure compensation for those impacted by the infected blood scandal, both the effected and affected.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority has been set up, with Sir Robert Francis KC as Chair, and the body has started to ensure the necessary work to ensure compensation payments are made as soon as possible, with the Government expecting the Authority to begin making payments by the end of the year.

During the debate, Ms Foody reflected on meeting with one of her constituents, who wishes to remain anonymous and highlighting that “not long after being elected, I met one of my constituents who is a victim of the scandal. He was a core participant in the inquiry, and his case is referenced anonymously in the report. Meeting him and hearing his story, about his fight for justice and the impact it has had on his life and his family, will forever remain with me”

Welcoming the action from the Government, Ms Foody continued that “It is welcome that, following feedback, the Government have made a series of changes, including the regular support payments, new routes for those seeking bespoke compensation claims and packages for those subjected to unethical testing. It is positive that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority has begun the steps to deliver this scheme and ensure that compensation payments are made as soon as possible, and that the payments will start by the end of the year, because victims have already waited too long. As Sir Robert Francis has said, that can provide a credible means of offering significant and, in many cases, life-changing sums to persons infected and affected by this terrible scandal”.

Reflecting on the debate, Ms Foody added “the motion before us is a testament to those, including my constituent, who have fought for decades to bring justice to those impacted. I pay tribute to all of them, as it is their work that has brought us to where we are today. I cannot imagine how it will feel to finally receive the recognition and the acknowledgment of what has happened. It is incumbent on us to ensure that it happens swiftly and provides proper recourse. I hope that, as a result of the action that we are already taking by introducing the Hillsborough law and the wider duty of candour, we can deliver a culture change so that no one will ever have to fight for justice like that again”.