Bishop Auckland MP reveals grandmother died due to infected blood as Government faces compensation pressure

A new North East MP has revealed he lost a grandmother due to infected blood - while the new Labour Government has revealed more details about its plan for compensation.

Sam Rushworth, the new Labour MP for Bishop Auckland, spoke in the House of Commons following a statement from Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds in which he reiterated the weeks-old Government's plan to follow through on the creation of an Infected Blood Compensation Authority.

Mr Rushworth said: "Like many here I have constituents affected by this, and indeed I grew up without a grandmother due to infected blood, but one of my constituents in Barnard Castle not only lost a child but had their other son experience severe mental health challenges that are lasting throughout his adult life - as a result of the strain placed on them as a family because of their long struggle for justice."

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He asked on that constituent's behalf for the Government to update the House of Commons on the progress of measures in response to the Infected Blood Inquiry other than simply compensation - including the enacting of tighter rules mandating "duty of candour" in public services.

Mr Thomas-Symonds had earlier reiterated the Government’s “deep and heartfelt” apology to the victims of the infected blood scandal. He told the Commons: “The infected blood scandal is an injustice that has spanned across decades on an unprecedented scale. Thousands of people have died, and continue sadly to die every week.

“Lives have been shattered and the voices of victims ignored for decades. People have watched their loved ones die and in one of the most chilling aspects that the inquiry brought to light, children were used as objects of research."

The Government also now said that the families of people who died after being infected with contaminated blood will be able to apply for £100,000 of compensation in October if they have not already had support.

Northumberland MP Ian Lavery highlighted that it was essential that the way in which many of those infected "were chosen" for medical research without their knowledge - including as tiny children - was recognised in compensation arrangements.

In May, Sir Brian Langstaff's landmark final report at the Infected Blood Inquiry highlighted decades of wrongdoing from authorities who sought to "hide the truth" of the NHS's biggest ever treatment disaster.

The scandal saw thousands of haemophiliacs given blood products tainted by viruses like HIV and hepatitis C beginning in the 1970s. Others were infected through transfusions and many passed on lethal viruses to their loved ones. Thousands die and continue to do so.

Clive Efford MP also raised a number of issues he - and members of the infected blood community - have felt remain unanswered, including the lack of punitive damages and the fact that losing monthly support payments when compensation is awarded is an issue of concern. Many have highlighted how based on the existing illustrative compensation examples, this would hardly offset the loss of support payments.

The minister simply reiterated the existing proposal put forward under the previous Government - that support payments would continue unchanged until April 1 2025, and then until individual cases were assessed. But at that point the individual would be able to choose to receive payments in one lump sum or regularly. This has not been seen as acceptable by a number of campaigners, who have in some cases used the guarantee of monthly payments to secure a mortgage or make other long-term financial plans.

Jesmond campaigner Carol Grayson said: "It is essential that monthly payments are kept in place for life as this is a lifeline for infected and affected and some haemophiliacs and partners have mortgage payments and other regular outgoings tied to these payments.

"These are not compensation payments, they are 'ex-gratia' payments. [The] Government wrote to beneficiaries many times over the years stating that they should not be called compensation. Now they appear to be going back on their own word."