|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compensation for haemophiliacs who contracted hepatitis C by accident in Scotland will be paid a similar amount to fellow sufferers in England following an agreement by the Scottish government to raise payments.
In the 1970s and 1980s thousands of haemophiliacs throughout the UK were mistakenly given infected blood transfusions, of whom about 5,000 were Scottish.
The English compensation scheme, which will now be copied north of the border, gives some patients annual payments of £12,800, with annual increases linked to inflation. Relatives of those who died before August 2003 as a consequence of the negligence of NHS staff and systems are also able to claim the money posthumously.
Scottish Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon said, "Arguably, if you've got hepatitis C through no fault of your own, no scheme is going to be adequate to compensate you for the suffering you've had, but the scheme with these amendments does provide good support for people, particularly those with an advanced state of the illness."
However, a representative of the Haemophilia Society said there was some disappointment among members because only 20% of people suffering from hepatitis C would benefit from the payments.
Later this month, a public inquiry into the all the circumstances surrounding the blood transfusions will open and, depending on its findings, it may be possible for others who have suffered personal injury because of the errors to claim damages.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
