Hepatitis C payment scheme to begin in April

The small number of people in Northern Ireland who were infected with Hepatitis C through blood or blood products will be eligible for payments of £20,000 as part of a compassionate scheme to be introduced by the government.

The scheme will help victims of the more advanced stages of the disease, those who have developed cirrhosis or liver cancer, with a further £25,000. It will also apply to those who contracted Hepatitis C through someone infected with the disease.

NIO Health Minister Angela Smith said: "I’m pleased to be able to announce the details of this scheme today. I felt it was important that Northern Ireland Hepatitis C patients should receive these payments on compassionate grounds. It is clear that providing assistance is the right thing to do.

"I believe that these are fair and reasonable payments and I hope that they will help alleviate some of the problems people, who have been affected in this way, are experiencing. I’m also glad that those who receive awards from the scheme, won’t have the worry of losing their social security benefits as a result.”

The Department of Health in London is currently setting up the independent body that will administer the scheme known as the Skipton Fund for the UK as a whole. Where necessary benefit legislation will be amended accordingly and it is hoped that the scheme will start operating in April this year.

In line with a similar scheme in the UK, every person who was alive on the 29 August 2003 and whose Hepatitis C infection is found to be attributable to NHS/HPSS treatment with blood or blood products before September 1991, would be eligible for the payments.

The Minister added that the Department of Health will be liaising with organisations such as the Haemophilia Society and Hepatitis C Trust to help ensure the procedures are as user friendly as possible.

(SP)