Demand for payouts in tainted blood row

MPs from across the political divide will today demand Ministers offer the victims an apology and financial assistance in line with the findings of a public inquiry concluded last year.

The patients received blood in the 1970s and 1980s from "skid row" donors such as prison inmates who were more likely to be infected.

Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney is among the MPs taking the lead in Parliament after being approached by a campaigner in his constituency who has CJD, hepatitis C and HIV after receiving a blood transfusion.

Mr McCartney said: "This is a shocking scandal for which previous governments have dragged their feet and over 2,000 victims have died. It really is time now that the Government takes the lead, gets to grips with this and gives the victims that are still alive the compensation that won't give them their health back but will help them get some dignity."

Today will be the first time the issue of "tainted blood" has been debated in the House of Commons, and Government whips are understood to be concerned about the number of MPs who might back the motion tabled by Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson.

Medical expert Lord Winston has branded the scandal "the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS", with 4,670 haemophiliacs who received blood transfusions in the 1970s and 1980s infected with hepatitis C, of whom 1,243 were also infected with HIV. Nearly 2,000 have already died.

A two-year privately-funded inquiry into the scandal led by Lord Archer of Sandwell found that commercial interests had taken precedence over public health.

It said there had been "lethargic" progress in reaching national self-sufficiency in blood products, forcing the NHS to buy blood from US suppliers who paid for donors who were more likely to have HIV and hepatitis C.

Lord Archer did not apportion blame but suggested Ministers could apologise to victims, provide financial assistance for those prevented from working, insure victims could get insurance and offer them benefits not freely available on the NHS, such as free prescription drugs, counselling and home nursing.