29 February 2024 , 10:20
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Victims of the contaminated blood scandal descended on Parliament yesterday to demand urgent action on compensation payments ahead of the Spring Budget.
A mass lobby of campaigners gathered on College Green on Wednesday afternoon before moving to Westminster Hall, where they met with local MPs and Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Some 82 people have died since the Infected Blood Inquiry recommended full compensation to those affected in April 2023. The Inquiry is due to publish its final report in May.
Robert Angwin, 52, contracted hepatitis C while undergoing treatment for a rare liver and blood disorder during his teens. He told the Mirror: “When I was first diagnosed [with hepatitis C], I wasn’t even told by a doctor. I came home from work, and my parents looked like someone had died.
A mass lobby of those infected and affected by the infected blood scandal gathered in Westminster Hall on Wednesday (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)“I’d been out of hospital recuperating for a year. I was only 18 at the time. My mum and dad were thrilled that I got a second chance at life. They said, ‘sit down’, and told me that I’d received contaminated blood.
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“I thought I had another death sentence. At first I was shocked, then I was angry. I just went mad. I punched a hole through a door. I suffered with anxiety and depression, especially after fighting in hospital for two years [already]. I thought, ‘this is it, I’m going to die’”.
Luckily, Robert survived – but has been fighting for justice for more than ten years. Born and raised in Nottingham but with family in America, Robert had always planned on retiring in the States.
Robert Angwin met his local MP, Andrew Bridgen, in Westminster Hall (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)“I’ve looked into it and even with Obamacare, the healthcare costs are just insane. It’s ripped my dreams away from me in that sense. I can’t return home. It kills me to know even if they do pay me compensation, it won’t cover my medical costs because they run into the millions.
“I’m fighting for everyone else as well as myself. I care more about others, to be honest. People are dying. I’ve written to countless MPs, countless members of the House of Lords – 99% of the time I never even receive a reply. There’s no reason for [Rishi Sunak] to drag his heels”.
Some 82 people have already died since the Inquiry recommended full compensation to victims in April 2023 (PA)In an open letter sent to the Prime Minister yesterday seen by the Mirror, Robert blasted the “inane bureaucratic absurdity” that he says is behind delayed compensation payments and called on Rishi Sunak to end “the largest scandal in NHS history”.
"After three decades of injustice, we don't have the luxury of waiting for their pace [compensation payments] to pick up, we need direct and immediate action NOW. It's incredulous to me how these decision makers in Government sleep at night with a clear conscience," he wrote.
Sunak was met with laughter from victims and their relatives when he insisted that the Government’s work “continues at pace” while appearing before the Inquiry in July last year.
Richard Angell, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "There is no need to wait for the final blood inquiry report for the government to fund and legislate for compensation for those infected and affected. The victims of this scandal have been waiting for justice for decades and shouldn't be made to wait any longer, with 82 having died since the inquiry published its full and final recommendations on compensation in April 2023."
A Government spokesperson commented: "This was an appalling tragedy, and our thoughts remain with all those impacted. We are clear that justice needs to be delivered for victims and have already accepted the moral case for compensation.
"This covers a set of extremely complex issues, and it is right we fully consider the needs of the community and the far-reaching impact that this scandal has had on their lives. The Government intends to respond in full to Sir Brian's recommendations for wide compensation following the publication of the Inquiry's final report."
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