Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what psychological support is available for people infected and affected by contaminated blood and blood products in Hull North.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of people who were treated with contaminated blood products and given contaminated blood transfusions by the National Health Service in Hull North, nor has it made an estimate of the numbers of these people who have since died.

Psychological support is available for people across England who are beneficiaries of the England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS), and their families. EIBSS provides a grant of up to £900 a year for beneficiaries and family members for counselling and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved talking therapies. This offer was expanded in August 2022 to enable beneficiaries to access funding for ongoing or longer-term treatment. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/talking-therapy-support.

A bespoke psychological support service for infected blood victims and their families, commissioned by NHS England, is currently being developed and is planned to go live in early summer 2024. This will be available in all regions of England.