Haemophilia Scotland, along with the Scottish Infected Blood Forum, wrote to the First Minister on 27th May to thank him for his apology in the Scottish Parliament to those infected and affected by infected blood and blood products. Our letter and his reply of 31st May is published here.
We took the opportunity to raise with the First Minister the real concerns expressed to us by our members of the apparent intent by the UK Government to cease operation of the support schemes (including SIBSS), once settlement of full compensation had been made.
The Infected Blood Support Schemes have been an essential lifeline for many who were infected and have been unable to work whilst being ignored by successive governments for far too long. It has come as a shock to many that these payments will under present plans end. Haemophilia Scotland understand that compensation cannot be paid as well as support scheme payments in their present form, but providing stability of income without individuals worrying about investment of lump sum payments is so important to their future wellbeing that the Government must find a way of continuing support payments for life.
We welcome the comment from the First Minister that the Scottish Government would want to see SIBSS continue to provide regular payments to its beneficiaries in future alongside the compensation scheme and that officials are discussing this issue with the Cabinet Office to seek to agree a way forward.
Bill Wright said:
“Those infected and affected by the infected blood scandal were for decades dismissed and abandoned by government and its agencies. Now that the Infected Blood Inquiry has so devastatingly exposed the repeated failures by government after government, the future UK government must not be allowed avoid its moral duty. It must ensure the best possible care and support for those infected for all of what remains of their lives. Any government threatening to now put time limits on that care and support as people become more and more ill is devoid of any decency and integrity.
The current proposals made a year after receiving recommendations from the Inquiry must ensure that the devolved support schemes continue and provide regular financial and other support to those infected and affected. Those infected and affected have a right to have financial security for the rest of their lives. We believe that this is in part best delivered via the devolved support schemes.”
Whether this will be possible is in the hands of the UK Government when it reconvenes after the election and with Sir Robert Francis who has said that he will spend the next month (June) reaching out to the community and their representatives to hear what they have to say on the compensation scheme before its terms are set out in regulations. We encourage you to make your views known to Sir Robert and the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). As soon as contact information for the IBCA is made available, we will publish details alongside the consultation arrangements.