Infected blood victim's daughter says compensation process is like 'call centre queue'

Louise Edwards, from Churwell in Leeds, was just 12 when she lost her dad Jack, after his haemophilia treatment was tainted with hepatitis C and HIV.

He was one of thousands of NHS patients who were injected with blood and plasma from the USA, which had been donated by criminals and drug users, from the 1970s to 1990s.

More than 30,000 people contracted HIV, hepatitis or other deadly diseases as a result and are still living with the consequences to this day.

People continued to be given infected blood, even after the risks were known, and in some cases children were not even told they had contracted HIV.

In 2024, Sir Brian Langstaff published the inquiry’s final report on the scandal, which found it “could largely have been avoided” and there was a “pervasive” cover-up to hide the truth.

He was then asked to complete another report on the compensation process after complaints, with Ms Edwards and her family potentially waiting until 2029 to receive compensation for her father’s death.

The 52-year-old told The Yorkshire Post: “It is so frustrating - we just want it done.

“It’s been 40 years since my dad died, and it still doesn’t feel like we have got any justice.

“Compensation will never bring him back, but that’s a recognition that somebody has done something wrong.”

Mr Edwards, a foreman at the former John Collier clothing warehouse on Kirkstall Road, died aged 47.

Ms Edwards said the process - being administered by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (Ibca) - is “absolutely taking too long”.

“We’re coming up for two years since the inquiry's final report,” she explained.

“Sir Brian did give the Government a head start because he told the Government what he was going to say.

“Nothing in the report would have come as a surprise to them.”

Ms Edwards said herself and other members of the infected blood community “are frustrated with Ibca”.

“We’re sick of being almost talked down to,” she explained, adding: “People think it’s over, they think that everything has been sorted - and we are so far away from that.”

Ms Edwards described the communication as “non-existent”, and said: “It’s like you’re holding in a very long call centre queue, but you don’t know what number you are in the queue.”

She said herself and other families remain “in the dark” of what they need to provide to Ibca for compensation.

“For the deceased there’s nothing more we can give, I can’t magically produce documents out of nowhere - they don’t exist,” she explained.

An Ibca spokesperson said: “Those impacted have waited decades for recognition and to get the compensation that they deserve.

“That’s why our priority is to pay every eligible person as quickly as we can, while getting this right for everyone.

“While we cannot comment on individual circumstances, we are prioritising and paying claims based on recommendations made by the Infected Blood Inquiry.

“This means that we are processing claims for every eligible group of people. Within these groups, we prioritise claims made by all those who are sadly nearing the end of their life, and then people from older age groups.”