New hope for contaminated blood victims
MINISTERS could announce measures before Christmas to help people infected with contaminated blood in the 1970s and 1980s.
Two thousand victims were infected with diseases including HIV, hepatitis C and CJD – the human form of mad cow disease – after being injected with contaminated blood products, some of which came from US prisoners.
In the House of Commons yesterday Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney, who has been campaigning on the issue since being approached by a constituent inflicted with all three diseases, urged Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to provide "fair compensation".
Mr Clegg admitted that it was a "dreadful catastrophe" for victims and said Health Minister Anne Milton would release a review by the end of the year on how the Government can help victims.