Public Inquiry

Infected Blood Inquiry

Status: Completed Chair: Sir Brian Langstaff Established: Sep 2018 Report: May 2024 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. Found the scandal could largely have been avoided and victims were failed by the NHS, government, and blood …

Response breakdown

103 recommendations total
72%
27%
74 (72%)Accepted
28 (27%)Accepted in Part
1 (1%)Under Review

Reports & milestones

Reports

29 Jul 2022 1 tracked rec First Interim Report · Tracked recommendations · PDF
05 Apr 2023 18 tracked recs Second Interim Report · Tracked recommendations · PDF

Timeline

11 Jul 2017 Inquiry Announced Prime Minister Theresa May announced a public inquiry. · Source
11 Jul 2017 Chair Appointed Sir Brian Langstaff appointed as Chair.
25 Jul 2018 Terms of Referenc… Terms of Reference published. · Source
30 Apr 2019 Hearings Begin Public hearings commenced.
19 Jul 2022 First Interim Rep… Interim report on compensation framework. · Source
05 Apr 2023 Second Interim Re… Second interim report with further compensation recommendations.
20 May 2024 Final Report Publ… Final report published finding decades of cover-up. · Source
21 May 2024 Government Apology Prime Minister issued full apology in Parliament. · Source

Recommendations

74 shown (filtered)
Clear
Code Recommendation Addressed to Response
AC-1a
The scheme be opened to registration to everyone who may be eligible.
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-1b
There be forms (devised by IBCA) for people to register and apply for a core award and the supplementary awards with/without the …
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-1c
IBCA include a prominent reference to the availability of legal support paid by IBCA on all registration and application forms and in …
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-1d
When IBCA opens up the service beyond people infected and registered with the support schemes, IBCA: (i) update the sequencing to three …
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-1e
IBCA consider making provision, either generally or in specific cases, for oral representations to be made where a decision is reviewed internally, …
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-1f
Written reasons for the original decision must be provided so that the review process can operate fairly.
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-2a
IBCA should publish: guidance, advice or instructions to claim managers; work undertaken by IBCA with the Cabinet Office's policy team to ensure …
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-2b
In respect of any case in which the advice of a clinical assessor has been given, in relation to the person concerned …
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-2c
A formal role be given within IBCA for an advisory body consisting of people infected and affected, covering a range of experience …
IBCA Accepted View →
AC-2d
To build confidence that IBCA is actively listening to people infected and affected, IBCA adopt more of a structured response to contributions …
IBCA Accepted View →
IBI-1
My principal recommendation remains that a compensation scheme should be set up now
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-2a
A permanent memorial be established in the UK and consideration be given to memorials in each of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-2b
A memorial be established at public expense, dedicated specifically to the children infected at Treloar’s school. The memorial should be such as …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-2c
There should be at least three events, approximately six months apart, drawing together those infected and affected, the nature and timing of …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-3a
The General Medical Council, and NHS Education for Scotland, Health Education and Improvement Wales, Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency and …
GMC UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-3b
They should look favourably upon putting together a package of training materials, with excerpts from oral and written testimony, to underpin what …
GMC UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-3c
The Inquiry website is maintained online
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-4a(i)
Duty of candour: A statutory duty of candour in healthcare should be introduced in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Executive Accepted View →
IBI-4a(ii)
Duty of candour: The operation of the duties of candour in healthcare in Scotland and in Wales should be reviewed, as it …
UK Government Scottish Government Accepted View →
IBI-4a(iii)
Duty of candour: The review of the duty of candour currently under way in England should be completed as soon as practicable.
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-4c(i)
Regulation: That external regulation of safety in healthcare be simplified. As a first step towards this, there should be a UK wide …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-4c(ii)
Regulation: That the national healthcare administrations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales explore, and if appropriate, support the development and implementation …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-4d
Patient Records: Before the end of 2027 there should be a formal audit, publicly reported, of the extent of success of digitisation …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-4e
Coordination of patient records with devolved governments: Consideration should be given by the national healthcare administrations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-6a(i)
All patients who have contracted hepatitis via a blood transfusion or blood products should receive the following care: Those who have been …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-6a(iii)
All patients who have contracted hepatitis via a blood transfusion or blood products should receive the following care: Where there is any …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-6a(iv)
All patients who have contracted hepatitis via a blood transfusion or blood products should receive the following care: Fibroscan technology should be …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-6a(vi)
All patients who have contracted hepatitis via a blood transfusion or blood products should receive the following care: Those bodies responsible for …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-7a(ii)
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland offering the use of tranexamic acid should be considered a treatment of preference in respect of …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-7a(iii)
Consideration be given to standardising and benchmarking transfusion performance between hospitals in order to deliver better patient blood management
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-7b
Review of progress towards the Transfusion 2024 recommendations: Progress in implementation of the Transfusion 2024 recommendations be reviewed, and next steps be …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-7f(i)
Establishing the outcome of every transfusion: That a framework be established for recording outcomes for recipients of blood components. That those records …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-7f(ii)
Establishing the outcome of every transfusion: To the extent that the funding for digital transformation does not already cover the setting up …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-8a
When doctors become aware that a patient has had a blood transfusion prior to 1996, that patient should be offered a blood …
UK Government NHS England Accepted View →
IBI-8b
As a matter of routine, new patients registering at a practice should be asked if they have had such a transfusion.
UK Government NHS England Accepted View →
IBI-9a
That peer review of haemophilia care should continue to occur as presently practised, with any necessary support being provided by NHS Trusts …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-9b
That NHS Trusts and Health Boards should be required to deliberate on peer review findings and give favourable consideration to implementing the …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-9c
A peer review of each centre should take place not less than once every five years.
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-9d
The necessary administrative and clinical resources should be provided by hospital trusts and boards, integrated care boards, and service commissioners to facilitate …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-9e
Recombinant coagulation factor products should be offered in place of plasma-derived ones where clinically appropriate. Service commissioners should ensure that such treatment …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-9f
That the National Haemophilia Database, run by the UKHCDO, merits the support of additional central funding.
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-10a(i)
A clinical audit should as a matter of routine include measures of patient satisfaction or concern, and these should be reported to …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-10a(ii)
That the following charities receive funding specifically for patient advocacy: the UK Haemophilia Society; the Hepatitis C Trust; Haemophilia Scotland; the Scottish …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-10a(iii)
That favourable consideration be given to other charities and organisations supporting people infected and affected that were granted core participant status (as …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-10a(v)
Steps be taken to give greater prominence to the online Yellow Card system to those receiving drugs or biological products, or who …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-12a
Within the next 12 months, the Government should consider and either commit to implementing the recommendations which I make, or give sufficient …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-12b
During that period, and before the end of this year – the Government should report back to Parliament as to the progress …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-12c
This timetable should not interfere with earlier consideration and response to the Recommendations of the Second Interim Report of the Inquiry.
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-A-2e
The Government and IBCA establish a mechanism by which individuals or organisations may raise concerns which arise about any aspect of the …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-A-3a
An amendment to the Regulations be made as soon as possible to remove the reference to 1 January 1982 from Regulation 3.
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-A-4c
For the calculation of Financial Loss awards for Hepatitis B, people born after 1953 should be treated like those born in or …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-A-4d
Where the level of severity of a person's infection at Level 3 or more has been established to IBCA's satisfaction in relation …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-A-4e
Regulation 14(2)(c) be amended to remove the requirement for evidence of the date of diagnosis of Hepatitis B or C. An appropriate …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-A-8b
The Regulations be amended such that where someone who would be an eligible affected person dies between 21 May 2024 and 31 …
UK Government Accepted View →
IBI-A-9a
The IBSS cut-off date of 31 March 2025 be reviewed, that the scheme should as soon as possible reinstate support payments to …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR1-1
An interim payment, of no less than £100,000, should be paid to all those infected and all bereaved partners currently registered with …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-1
I recommend that the scheme should offer redress to those infected with HCV and/or HIV, and/or HBV (limited to chronic HBV unless …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-2
I recommend that the conditions of eligibility for admission of relevant infected persons to the scheme should be that: a) they have …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-3
As above, save that (a) the last bullet point should read: "eligibility is accepted if the information available points towards eligibility and …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-4
I recommend that the following relevant affected persons should be admitted to the scheme: a) spouses, civil partners and long term cohabitees …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-5
I recommend that infections eligible for compensation should be classified in the following manner: a) there should be defined categories for each …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-6
I recommend that the appropriate award in any case should be composed under the following categories of loss, applicable to both eligible …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-7
I recommend that there should be no award for exemplary damages, though it should remain open to a claimant to pursue such …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-8
I recommend that the Government should approve a scheme setting out a framework of tariff based compensation for eligible infected and affected …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-9
I recommend that, with reference to the status of awards: a) eligible infected and affected persons should not be required to accept …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-10
I recommend that: a) awards should be made in a lump sum in respect of an Injury Impact Award, Social Impact Award, …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-11
I recommend that interest be payable on awards for past financial losses and past provision of care, from the date of infection …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-12
I recommend that an interim payment of £100,000 should be paid to recognise the deaths of people to date unrecognised and alleviate …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-13
I recommend that, with regard to the relationship between compensation, support payments and benefits: a) in assessing compensation under the scheme, no …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-14
I recommend that an Arms Length Body (ALB) should be set up to administer the compensation scheme, with guaranteed independence of judgement, …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-15
I recommend that the scheme should include provision of the following support services to be provided without charge to the applicant: a) …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-16
I recommend that the compensation scheme should be delivered by one central body, appropriately resourced and staffed. Current support schemes should however …
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-17
I recommend that without delay steps be taken to provide a bespoke psychological service in England.
UK Government Accepted View →
IR2-18
I recommend that a compensation scheme should be set up now and it should begin work this year.
UK Government Accepted View →

Parliamentary activity

386 mentions since Sep 2017
52 debates 284 questions 45 statements
15 Jun 2026 Early Day Motion Infected Blood Inquiry compensation
Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat)
19 May 2026 Written Question Infected Blood Inquiry: Costs
Mike Wood (Conservative)
13 May 2026 Early Day Motion Redress for people impacted by surgical mesh, sodium valproate and Primodos
Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat)
14 Apr 2026 Written Ministerial Statement Update on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour)
14 Apr 2026 Written Ministerial Statement Update on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour)
View all 386 mentions →

Costs

Total: £146,162,778
Period Total Inquiry legal CP legal Source
Mar 2025 (cum.) £146,162,778 £67,290,993 £27,242,761 link
Mar 2025 £5,511,059 £1,514,906 £603,277 link
Mar 2024 £10,301,344 £5,354,237 £937,131 link
Mar 2023 £28,254,992 £11,694,492 £7,154,110 link
Mar 2022 £32,522,939 £15,491,533 £5,778,813 link
Mar 2021 £34,270,948 £20,797,365 £4,505,612 link
Mar 2020 £25,992,907 £9,959,119 £5,742,876 link
Mar 2019 £9,308,693 £2,479,341 £2,520,943 link