2 weeks Ago
The case of a Norwich man given infected blood in a transfusion has been raised in Parliament in a bid to pressure the government to speed up compensation. Alan Kirkham, 77, from Hellesdon, was infected with Hepatitis C after a blood transfusion in 1983, during an operation on his ankles to fight his arthritis. The father-of-five is one of some 30,000 victims of the infected blood scandal, where health service failings between the 1970s and early 1990s saw hundreds of people infected with hepatitis C and HIV.
Alan Kirkham (Image: Denise Bradley) Last autumn, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the government had created an £118bn compensation pot for victims of the scandal . The government has made 63 offers of compensation so far, totalling over £73m. Norwich North MP Alice Macdonald (Image: Denise Bradley) But Norwich North MP Alice Macdonald raised her constituent Mr Kirkham’s case in the House of Commons this week as part of efforts to push for speedier resolutions.
The Labour MP said: "I paid tribute to campaigners like my constituent, Alan Kirkham, who have shone a light on the injustices of the infected blood scandal, which has affected so many people across the country in such a tragic way. "I welcome the money set aside for compensation by the Labour government at the budget and asked the minister to ensure compensation is delivered at pace and to fast track older and more vulnerable people." More than 30,000 people were infected with HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood products and transfusions between 1970 and 1991 (Image: PA) Cabinet office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the Infected Blood Compensation Authority - set up by the government to administer the compensation - last week set out plans for prioritising the most vulnerable.
He said: "I will certainly pay tribute to Alan and the work of all the campaigners over decades. "I’m restless for progress and will support the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to deliver compensation as quickly as possible.".
