Stephen Kinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Kinnock on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 22461, on blood: contamination, how many cases of liability have been established for people with haemophilia infected with HIV and/or hepatitis C through NHS-supplied contaminated blood or blood products.

Jane Ellison

These infections are a tragedy for those affected but they occurred before blood donor screening tests or methods of viral inactivation were available in the United Kingdom. In 1991, a case brought by haemophilia patients infected with HIV was settled out of court with no liability established. In 2001 the National Blood Authority was found liable under the Consumer Protection Act for infection with hepatitis C in relation to whole blood caused to 117 patients infected between 1988 and 1991. It is not known if any of these plaintiffs were haemophilia patients. Since 1988, ex-gratia financial support schemes have been set up for people who have been affected by HIV and/or hepatitis C through treatment with National Health Service-supplied blood or blood products. To date over £390 million has been paid out to those affected through five different organisations funded by the health departments.