Overview

• The UK government has set aside £11.8 billion to compensate victims of the infected blood scandal, which has claimed thousands of lives over the past four decades.
• The compensation follows a campaign by The Sunday Times, which uncovered how haemophiliac patients were given contaminated blood products, leading to infections with HIV and hepatitis.
• The scandal involved the use of imported blood products from the US, sourced from high-risk donors, which were knowingly administered to patients without their informed consent.
• Despite warnings and evidence of the risks, the British government and medical authorities failed to act promptly, leading to one of the deadliest man-made disasters in postwar British history.
• The public inquiry's findings have prompted an apology from the Prime Minister and the establishment of an Infected Blood Compensation Authority to expedite payments to victims and their families.