Wider Definition of Unethical Research
Infected Blood Inquiry · Additional Report on Compensation · Issued 9 July 2025 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
When considering the evidence IBCA applies the wider definition of research explained in the Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report chapter on Unethical Research.
Infected Blood Inquiry, Additional Report on Compensation · 9 Jul 2025 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Government stated in July 2025 that it accepted this recommendation in principle and would apply the wider definition of research as explained in the Additional Report when consulting on the unethical research award (Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report: Government Response, Cabinet Office, July 2025).
- A consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme was opened on 24 November 2025 (Consultation: Proposed Changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, Cabinet Office, November 2025).
- The government stated that claimants would not need to prove participation in a specific medical trial and that the award would be available to patients treated for a bleeding disorder before 1986 (Government Response to Consultation on Changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, Cabinet Office, 14 April 2026).
Sources
How was this evidence gathered?
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The Government accepts this recommendation in principle and will consult on providing an award for unethical research victims applying the wider definition of research as explained in the Additional Report.
UK Government · 21 Jul 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 14 Apr 2026 · Cabinet Office This means people will not have to prove they were part of a specific medical trial, but instead the award will be available to all patients treated for a bleeding disorder before 1986. Source →
- 21 Jul 2025 14 April 2026 update: Government response (CP 1565) adjusts the date range captured by the Unethical Research award to reflect evidence provided in the consultation. A new Unethical Research award for children is also introduced: "people who were treated for a bleeding disorder in childhood will receive a higher Unethical Research award than those who were treated in adulthood." Sources: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-infected-blood-compensation-scheme-will-improve-support-for-victims; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69ddf5fd7e2086c62da2f152/Government_response_to_consultation_on_proposed_changes_to_the_infected_blood_compensation_scheme__PDF_.pdf Source →
- 15 Jan 2026 · IBCA Community Update 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. View source → Good Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.