Infected blood payouts for NHS blunders are ‘criminally high’ and cost taxpayers BILLIONS, Chancellor says

• Jeremy Hunt said it was a ‘waste’ that around £2.5billion was paid out per year

Taxpayers fund a ‘criminally high’ level of compensation to victims of NHS mistakes, Jeremy Hunt said yesterday.

Giving evidence to the Infected Blood Inquiry, the Chancellor said it was an ‘appalling waste’ that around £2.5billion was paid out each year.

The Government accepted it had a ‘moral duty’ to compensate those affected by the contaminated blood scandal, he said, but warned that further work was needed before payments could be made.

Mr Hunt, a former health secretary, faced questions over lengthy delays in the compensation process, and reports that the total payout could total up to £22billion.

Giving evidence to the Infected Blood Inquiry, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (pictured) said it was an ‘appalling waste’ that around £2.5billion was paid out each year

He said he accepted that further delays would add to the suffering of those who were infected with potentially fatal diseases after receiving contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s. 

But he insisted the Government was working ‘very fast’ to deliver a full compensation scheme.

The Chancellor said he could not ignore the economic consequences of making ‘potentially very large’ payments but said there was a ‘moral urgency’ to do so and it was vital the NHS learned from its mistakes.

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