Completed
· Chair: Sir Brian Langstaff
· Established September 2018
· Commissioned by Cabinet Office
Examining how thousands of NHS patients were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
More about this inquiry
Examining how thousands of NHS patients were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Found the scandal could largely have been avoided and victims were failed by the NHS, government, and blood services. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is administering compensation and publishes registration and payment progress statistics roughly every fortnight (see below). On 14 April 2026 the Government published its response to consultation on proposed changes to the Scheme (CP 1565), announcing approximately £1bn in additional compensation payments on top of the £11.8bn allocated in the 2024 Autumn Budget, with regulations to follow later in 2026.
An interim payment, of no less than £100,000, should be paid to all those infected and all bereaved partners currently registered with any of the four UK infected blood support schemes, as well as those registering ahead of the inception of a future compensation scheme.
Since then (summary written by this site)
In August 2022, Michael Ellis, HM Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, confirmed that the UK Government accepted the recommendation in full, stating that it was a priority and that it intended to make the interim compensation payments by the end of October 2022 (Michael Ellis response, Aug 2022). The record holds no update since the UK Government's response of August 2022 (Michael Ellis response, Aug 2022).
Cumulative total over 7 years. Investigation team (41.5% of total) includes paralegals, investigators and lawyers working on the Inquiry. Participant support includes travel and psychological support for core participants.
Annual expenditure. Inquiry Legal includes Counsel (barristers) and Investigation team (paralegals, investigators, lawyers). Other includes Hearings/Report publication, Travel, and Experts.
Annual expenditure. Inquiry Legal includes Counsel (barristers) and Investigation team (paralegals, investigators, lawyers). Other includes Hearings/Report publication, Travel, and Experts.
Annual expenditure. Inquiry Legal includes Counsel (barristers) and Investigation team (paralegals, investigators, lawyers). Other includes Hearings/Report publication, Travel, and Experts.
Annual expenditure. Inquiry Legal includes Counsel (barristers) and Investigation team (paralegals, investigators, lawyers). Other includes Hearings/Report publication, Travel, and Experts.
Annual expenditure. Inquiry Legal includes Counsel (barristers) and Investigation team (paralegals, investigators, lawyers). Other includes Hearings/Report publication, Travel, and Experts.
Annual expenditure. Inquiry Legal includes Counsel (barristers) and Investigation team (paralegals, investigators, lawyers). Other includes Hearings/Report publication, Travel, and Experts.
Annual expenditure. Inquiry Legal includes Counsel (barristers) and Investigation team (paralegals, investigators, lawyers). Other includes Hearings/Report publication, Travel, and Experts.
Cumulative total over 7 years. Investigation team (41.5% of total) includes paralegals, investigators and lawyers working on the Inquiry. Participant support includes travel and psychological support for core participants.
Written QuestionHouse of LordsLord Patten · Conservative
Asked: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 16 September (HL3026), when they last reviewed their decision to ask the Infected Blood Delivery Authority to decide the rate of compensation payments.
Answered by Cabinet Office: As recommended by the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has operational independence from the Government. IBCA’s Board takes decisions on the organisation’s progress and performance, and publishes recordings and minutes of its meetings. Whilst the roll out of the Scheme is an operational decision for IBCA as an independent body, I fully support its commitment to …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsChris Coghlan · Liberal Democrat
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Prevention of Future Death reports received by the government have outstanding responses.
Answered by Ministry of Justice: Coroners do not make recommendations as part of their inquest findings. However, where a coroner investigation gives rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of other deaths will occur, or will continue to exist, in the future, and the coroner considers that action should be taken to prevent future deaths, they have a statutory duty to issue a …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsChris Coghlan · Liberal Democrat
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, a) if his Department plans to introduce a National Learning from Deaths Strategy, and b) if he will meet with Dr Georgia Richards of King’s College London to discuss the work of the Preventable Deaths Tracker and …
Answered by Ministry of Justice: Coroners do not make recommendations as part of their inquest findings. However, where a coroner investigation gives rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of other deaths will occur, or will continue to exist, in the future, and the coroner considers that action should be taken to prevent future deaths, they have a statutory duty to issue a …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsChris Coghlan · Liberal Democrat
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the recommendations arising from coroners' inquests.
Answered by Ministry of Justice: Coroners do not make recommendations as part of their inquest findings. However, where a coroner investigation gives rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of other deaths will occur, or will continue to exist, in the future, and the coroner considers that action should be taken to prevent future deaths, they have a statutory duty to issue a …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsChris Coghlan · Liberal Democrat
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Prevention of Future Death reports the government has received since 2013 broken down by Department.
Answered by Ministry of Justice: Coroners do not make recommendations as part of their inquest findings. However, where a coroner investigation gives rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of other deaths will occur, or will continue to exist, in the future, and the coroner considers that action should be taken to prevent future deaths, they have a statutory duty to issue a …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsChris Coghlan · Liberal Democrat
Asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps have been taken in response to receiving Prevention of Future Death reports.
Answered by Ministry of Justice: Coroners do not make recommendations as part of their inquest findings. However, where a coroner investigation gives rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of other deaths will occur, or will continue to exist, in the future, and the coroner considers that action should be taken to prevent future deaths, they have a statutory duty to issue a …
Written QuestionHouse of CommonsNick Timothy · Conservative
Asked: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many prosecutions have been brought in connection with the infected blood scandal; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Cabinet Office: Whether individuals are prosecuted is rightly a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service and is independent of Government. Given the nationwide scope of the Infected Blood Inquiry, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has engaged experienced senior investigators to conduct a review of available evidence. Since the review began following the Infected Blood Inquiry’s May 2024 report, the NPCC has …
Written QuestionHouse of LordsLord Patten · Conservative
Asked: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rate of compensation being delivered by the Infected Blood Delivery Authority to those affected.
Answered by Cabinet Office: HMG has regular engagement with IBCA to discuss progress. However, the delivery of compensation is a matter for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), which has opened its service to all cohorts including affected people. IBCA is contacting people across all cohorts in line with the prioritisation criteria recommended by the Infected Blood Inquiry in its July 2025 Additional Report. …
Findings about the inquiry's recommendations as a whole
Sir Brian Langstaff (oral evidence to PACAC)(30 Jun 2026)
This site's summary of the finding: Giving oral evidence to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on 30 June 2026, Sir Brian Langstaff said of the recommendations that followed the Inquiry's second set of hearings, on compensation (the Additional Report): "We made recommendations that have all been accepted. Some are subject to consultation; they are really recommendations to be consulted about with a view to taking a different approach. That has been done."
Infected Blood Inquiry (Chair, Sir Brian Langstaff)(31 Mar 2026)
This site's summary of the finding: In the annex to his letter of 31 March 2026 to the Minister for the Cabinet Office notifying the end of the Inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff, its Chair, wrote: "I acknowledge, here, that the Government accepted all the recommendations in the Infected Blood Inquiry Report, but some “in principle”, for just this reason."
Scottish Government (Oversight and Assurance Group minutes)(24 Mar 2026)
This site's summary of the finding: The minutes of the Scottish Government's Infected Blood Oversight and Assurance Group (meeting of 24 March 2026) record, under recommendation 6 (monitoring liver damage for people infected with Hepatitis C), progress in Scotland only: "The detailed case note review of these patients found they had all been appropriately assessed and followed up for liver damage, with the exception of where they had defaulted from follow up. As previously agreed at the OAG, officials asked the Viral Hepatitis Strategic Group to take forward a review of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) clinical guidelines. This was delayed due to clinician capacity, but is expected to be completed by the end of March 2026."
This site's summary of the finding: As of 13 January 2026: 3,721 people asked to start claims, 3,546 begun process, 3,074 received offers totalling £2.47bn, 2,861 paid totalling £1.89bn. Third compensation regulations in force 31 December 2025.