Personal injury news

Blood disaster victims make compensation claims

Survivors of one of the worst medical malpractice disasters in the NHS's history are demanding millions of pounds in damages.

Almost 1,200 people were given blood contaminated with Hepatitis C and HIV during the 1980s, and although 800 have died since, the remaining 400 are calling on the Government to heed their compensation claims.

Those that were still alive in the early 1990s were paid reparations of up to £80,000 each, which was calculated on the assumption that all would be dead within a few years. But now the survivors, who have benefited somewhat from advances in medicine, are calling for further monetary damages to compensate for their ruined lives.

One of the victims of the medical negligence was Gareth Lewis, who is still alive but riddled with HIV and Hepatitis C. Over a decade ago he received £62,000 following a compensation claim against the NHS, but told the media how his condition resulted in two marriages breaking down and the loss of a highly-paid job.

He commented, "I just think lots of mistakes were made and I think people need to hold their hands up and say, 'We got it wrong'."

Refusing to be drawn on the subject of compensation claims, a Department of Health spokesman said, "We have great sympathy for those people and their families who were infected as a result of these contaminated blood products.

"We commissioned a review into how these patients were infected.

"The report concluded that clinicians acted in the best interests of their patients in light of the facts that were available at the time."