Infected blood victims ‘very cautious’ over compensation payouts

About 3,000 UK patients have since died – many of them haemophiliacs given infected blood products as part of their treatment.

The size of the payouts will depend on individual circumstances but could top £2m.

The compensation due is being judged under five criteria – harm caused, social impact from stigma and isolation, impact on autonomy and private life, care costs and financial loss.

The first payments will be made to those who were infected. Family members and loved ones of those infected will also be entitled to compensation but that scheme will not be available until next year.

The UK government announcement comes after Sir Robert Francis, the interim chair of the new Infected Blood Compensation Authority, reviewed the recommendations put forward for the scheme by the public inquiry.

Gill Fyffe told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme it had “given us a bit of hope but the devil is in the detail”.

She added: “Some people have sadly passed away and some people are very, very ill and need compensation to survive.

“It can’t change what has happened but hopefully it will stop people suffering or allow them to suffer less.”