Hopes over Hep C payout

Infected blood was used in transfusions

Scottish patients infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products may receive up to £55,000 in compensation.

However the compensation deal may depend on Westminster approval.

Hundreds of people, many of whom were haemophiliacs, contracted the potentially fatal virus during the 1970s and 80s.

And as many as 4,000 may have been given infected blood transfusions or plasma during the period, according to Scottish Executive statistics.

Malcolm Chisholm: Health Minister

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm told the Scottish Parliament's health committee that he would like to offer compensation to those 568 people registered with the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) over two years, at a total cost of less than £15m.

Mr Chisholm conceded he was excluding those who had already died but insisted the initial payment was higher than recommended by the expert group.

He has suggested that a figure of £25,000 should be given to each living patient, and a further £25,000 if they developed chronic liver disease.

However, this package was dependant on approval by Westminster so that patients' social security benefits were not affected.

Minister's re-think

Mr Chisholm said: "It's obviously a disappointment to me because I want to get this issue resolved quickly.

"People will no doubt ask further questions about that but it should be self evident that it's in the control of the UK Government in London.

"It's not something we can determine the timescale of, although we have made it clear to Westminster that we want this resolved quickly."

The new proposals came after Mr Chisholm had been sent away by the committee for a re-think on the issue.

He had previously suggested £30m could be made available over three years for those suffering "serious long-term harm".

But the committee said it was unhappy with that position because those who caught HIV under similar circumstances were compensated.

Surviving dependants

Karin Pappenheim, chief executive of the Haemophilia Society, commented: "We welcome the fact that the Scottish health minister has at long last agreed with the principle of offering financial assistance to those infected with Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products.

"It is disappointing that the suggested figures fall far short of the payments proposed by the expert group he set up to look at the issue.

"And we regret that absolutely no provision has been made to the surviving dependants of those who have already died of Hepatitis C."