Infected blood support

Hundreds of Scottish people given infected NHS blood have now received extra financial support.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government pledged that people infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C would receive increased lump sums and annual payments.

Now some 330 people have received top-up lump sums of £30,000 and another 11 people infected with both HIV and hepatitis C have received an extra £50,000 lump sum. In addition, 138 people have had their annual payments increased to either £27,000 or £37,000, depending on the circumstances of their illness.

In tandem, work is now well underway on the new scheme for infected blood support in Scotland, which includes new annual payments for widows and widowers whose husband or wife died as a result of their hepatitis C or HIV infection. The new scheme, which will be managed by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), is expected to commence in April 2017.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said:

“The Scottish Government has worked hard to deliver increased payments for those infected in Scotland through the existing UK schemes this year, despite delays in getting the new arrangements agreed with the UK Government and the existing schemes.

“The changes that were needed were finally processed by the Department of Health and the schemes and I’m pleased to hear that hundreds of people have now received those higher payments. We know that this money can be a lifeline to families across Scotland.

“I’m also pleased that the new Scottish payment system is on course to be delivered next spring. The needs of patients and their families will be very much at its heart.

“The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to doing all we can to help the people affected by this terrible chapter in the history of our health service. We remain the only country in the UK to have held a full public inquiry and I’m proud that we can now offer the most generous support in the UK to those infected, and their families.”

Background

More information on the support available under the improved support arrangements is available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Services/Blood.