Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Technical Expert Group

On 21 July, I updated the House that the Government would be bringing forward further regulations to respond to the recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s additional report. I also informed the House that to make the proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme would require further technical clinical and legal advice. I can now confirm that this advice will be provided by a new Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Technical Expert Group.

The technical expert group will assist the Government in developing proposals, in response to the inquiry’s additional report, for public consultation. Following that consultation, the Government will be in a position to finalise any changes to the infected blood compensation scheme, informed by the consultation findings and the technical expert group’s advice.

I have published the terms of reference for the technical expert group, including full membership, as well as its work programme. To ensure the necessary changes to the compensation scheme can be implemented with the minimum possible delay to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority’s ongoing delivery of compensation, I am appointing all members of the previous expert group to the new group. In addition, I am pleased to have personally appointed five further experts to broaden the group’s expertise and ensure any changes to the scheme are thoroughly assessed and validated. The new additional members to the technical expert group are as follows:

Dr Lise Estcourt, Transfusion Medicine specialist

Dr Susie Shapiro, Haematology Specialist

Dr Chloe Beale, Psychological medicine—psychiatrist

Professor Deborah Christie, Psychological medicine—psychologist

Professor John Weinman, Psychological medicine—psychologist

The appointments I have made reflect feedback from infected blood community stakeholders and I thank the community representatives for their valuable input into this process.

While the previous expert group, appointed by my predecessor, provided advice which enabled the Government to take critical decisions on the design of the infected blood compensation scheme, I acknowledge the inquiry’s and community’s criticisms about the transparency of its work.

After reflecting on the inquiry’s report, I gave the House an undertaking that transparency will be at the heart of any expert group going forward. Today I published an open letter to Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, who I have asked to chair the new technical expert group, setting out my expectations on how it will operate. This includes an expectation that the group will undertake targeted engagement with the infected blood community on issues raised in the inquiry’s additional report, to inform its work and help it answer the questions set out in its work programme.

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