25
Feb 2020
Northern Ireland contaminated blood victims no closer to securing financial support to bring them in line with victims in England
Following the news that contaminated blood victims in Northern Ireland are receiving a lower financial settlement than those elsewhere in the UK, a group recently met with health minister Robin Swann and urged him to address the disparity in payments.
Nigel Hamilton of the campaign group Haemophilia NI said those affected by the scandal in Northern Ireland had to be treated the same as those living in other parts of the UK. He said of the meeting “The minister listed to what we all had to say – there were three different groups of people there.
“He’s asked us to work with him as he goes through his various options.”
The contaminated blood scandal culminated in haemophilia patients in the 1970s and 1980s being treated with blood infected with HIV or hepatitis C.
Around 5,000 people, including 99 from Northern Ireland, were infected by what has been named “the worst scandal in the history of the NHS”.
Earlier this year, Stormont’s Department of Finance announced that £1m would go towards Northern Ireland victims, but the Department of Health have only released £600,000. This has left this group of people receiving less financial support than those in Scotland, Wales and England, in some cases the difference can amount to as much as £14,000 a year.
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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