Portsmouth and Fareham victims of the infected blood scandal demand cross-party apology and national memorial after compensation offer

The government announced on Wednesday that around 4,000 UK victims of the infected blood scandal are to receive interim compensation of £100,000 each.

It is the first time compensation will be paid to those who contracted diseases like Hepatitis and HIV after receiving contaminated blood from the NHS in the 1970s and 1980s.

It will be given to those whose health is failing after developing blood-borne viruses, as well as partners of people who have died.

Among those campaigning to highlight the issue was Portsmouth resident Sally Vickers, who in 2005 discovered she had contracted hepatitis C from a tainted blood transfusion when she was a teenager.

The 56-year-old died from liver cancer – which can be caused by hepatitis C – on August 11, 2017.

Now her husband Alan has called for a ‘proper’ apology from the government to honour his wife’s final wishes.

Reacting to the announcement of the compensation, the 64-year-old said: ‘I was taken aback a bit really. We never really fought for compensation. All we want is someone to turn around and say, ‘it was me – I was the person that organised the tainted blood’. Just someone to admit responsibility.

‘Sal would just say, “I want someone to say sorry”.

‘I have had people say, “well, you will be quids in – you will be alright”. But it doesn’t replace my wife.

‘This compensation isn’t going to do anything for me.’

Jackie Britton, from Fareham, had a blood transfusion in 1983 following the birth of her first child, but she did not discover she had been given infected blood until 2011.

She joined Alan’s call for an apology – as well as calling for a national memorial to mark those who have died as a result of the scandal, which is believed to have led to at least 1,240 deaths.

The 60-year-old said: ‘I’m really pleased that we have taken a step forward. But I am disgusted with the way it was done. There was no prior warning before it was put into he press. We have had a month of rumours, but we found out with the general public.

‘For people like me, it takes away some of the worry if I need care at any stage – I will have money to pay for it.

‘But obviously it doesn’t go far enough. Overall, we just feel treated with contempt.

‘There needs to be a national memorial. And there needs to be a proper apology – it needs to be across the board, it’s not just one prime minister. It’s about a combined apology from all the parties.’

The Infected Blood Inquiry is looking into whether more payouts should be paid to a greater number of people.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said: ‘While nothing can make up for the pain and suffering endured by those affected by this tragic injustice, we are taking action to do right by victims and those who have lost their partners.’

The first compensation payments are expected to be made by the end of October in England.