Hepatitis
(asked on 20th October 2014) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) first-stage payments and (b) second-stage payments have been made from the Skipton Fund to the estates of individuals who contracted hepatitis C following NHS treatment with blood products between 1970 and 1995 but who died before 29 August 2003; what the total amount of money paid out to these estates was; how many total applications for lump sum payments were made by the families and dependants of these victims from 10 January to the end of March 2011; how many applications were refused on the basis that they came in too late; whether his Department has received any representations from (i) the families of victims, (ii) campaign groups and (iii) the Skipton Fund or Caxton Foundation about the time available to apply.
The following table sets out the number of payments and total paid out by Skipton Fund Ltd to the estates of individuals who contracted hepatitis C through treatment with NHS supplied blood or blood products prior to 1991 and who died prior to 29 August 2003.
| (a) Stage 1 | (b) Of whom have also received Stage 2* | ||
Number of payments | Total cost (£) | Number of payments | Total cost (£) | |
For all individuals | 472 | 9,440,000.00 | 258 | 12,900,000.00 |
Comprising individuals with a bleeding disorder treated with plasma derived products | 441 | 8,820,000.00 | 236 | 11,800,000.00 |
And individuals treated with a whole blood transfusion | 31 | 620,000.00 | 22 | 1,100,000.00 |
*Stage 2 payment is made for individuals who received a stage 1 payment and progressed to more severe hepatitis C related disease.
There were 81 such applications before 31 March 2011. However, the deadline initially set of 31 March 2011 was for registrations with the Skipton Fund and not completed applications. No applications have been refused to date for missing the deadline.
The Department received representations from campaign groups and families of deceased individuals in relation to the deadline, and worked with the Skipton Fund in 2011 to agree that any late registrations would be processed, provided the individual registering had good reason for the late registration.