Our letter to the Paymaster General is below. You can also download the letter as a PDF.

Dear Rt. Hon. Michael Ellis QC MP,

I am writing to you with reference to the publication of Compensation and redress for the victims of infected blood: recommendations for a framework.

Thank you for taking the decision to publish the Sir Robert Francis study before the Government’s response. I take this as an indication that you are willing to listen to the views of the community whose lives have been so deeply impacted as a result of the contaminated blood products administered by the state before you finalise your response. A formalise process for this would be appreciated. If we can be of any assistance to you and your officials – we stand ready to help.

I believe the Government should urgently concede that the case for compensation has been made. A statement of this nature should be expedited. This is the first recommendation (1) made in Sir Robert Francis’s study, Making a community of people who have already waited decades for a government to do the right thing is wrong. This group already experiences trauma and stress – they can be helped by making this commitment now, rather than waiting for the inquiry to report. As Sir Robert has rightly said there is a strong moral case for you doing this, and quickly.

In addition, I believe the Government should move immediately to implement recommendation 14 (2) in Sir Robert’s study that refers to making an interim compensation payment to this group. I appreciate that finalising a framework based on Sir Robert’s work and implementing that will take some time. But an interim payment can be done now. Given many of those who were infected are not in good health I am also calling on you to act with haste on this.

I know from statements you have made in writing and in the House of Commons that you have compassion for the people infected and affected by contaminated blood products and what they continue to live through. Please move quickly to implement recommendation 1 and 14 from Sir Robert’s study, not just because of that compassion but also because it is the right thing to do.

Yours sincerely,
Ian Green, Chief Executive

(1) Recommendation 1: I recommend that the Government accepts that, irrespective of the findings of the Inquiry, there is a strong moral case for a publicly funded scheme to compensate both infected and affected victims of infected blood and blood products infected with HCV or HIV, and that the infections eligible for compensation be reviewed on a regular basis in the light of developing knowledge – Compensation and redress for the victims of infected blood: recommendations for a framework.

(2) Recommendation 14: I recommend that the Government should immediately consider offering a standard figure by way of substantial interim payments, on account of awards likely to be made under the scheme, to infected persons currently in receipt of support under any support scheme. The figure offered should represent broadly the minimum amount an infected person could be expected to receive by way of a final award.