'Compensation plans are an insult'

Melissa Price was left brain damaged by the whooping cough vaccine

Ruby Hunt has been providing 24-hour care for her son Gary for more than 40 years.

In 1958, Gary aged five months received a routine vaccination on the NHS. He was left severely disabled.

Gary is quadriplegic, blind and subject to epileptic fits. He is unable to feed himself and remains in nappies.

Eleven years after the vaccination, Gary's family was awarded £10,000 compensation.

Following the government's announcement on compensation, they stand to receive an additional £60,000.

'Astounded'

However, speaking to BBC News Online Ruby, who lives in Salford, said the money will go "nowhere near" meeting the costs of caring for Gary.

"I am astounded by this announcement. My son is profoundly disabled and needs 24 hour care. I have not had a break from caring for him in 41 years and my husband had to give up work to care for him.

"This money will not be enough to provide care for him for even 12 months. It will not provide him with somewhere decent to live.

This is not a compensation package, it is an insult

Ruby Hunt, Salford

"If it was an honest compensation package it would allow us to buy a bungalow for Gary.

"It would allow us to put money in the bank to pay for the care that he will need.

"If it was an honest compensation package it would be in the region of £1.5m. That is what is being paid out for medical accidents these days and what happened to Gary was a medical accident.

"This money will help some of those families who have not been too badly affected but it will not help Gary.

"There is no way that this money can go anyway near providing him with the care that he needs."

Melissa Price was brain damaged in 24 years ago after receiving the whooping cough vaccine.

Like Gary, she too requires 24-hour care. Her mother, Olivia told the BBC: "It's 24 hour care. It's non stop and it will be for the rest of her life."

The Price family was awarded £10,000 at the time and now stands to receive an additional £70,000.

Olivia said she wanted to ensure there was enough money to allow Melissa to be cared for in the future.

"I want to make provision for Melissa so that when I am no longer here to look after her she is going to be well cared for."