Infected blood scandal: Diana Johnson says compensation delay added ‘layer of hurt’

Reacting to the publication of the long-awaited report into the infected blood scandal on Monday, Dame Diana Johnson said the delay of compensation had added “added another layer of hurt”.

Dame Diana, who has been a prominent voice in parliament on the infected blood scandal, criticised the government for failing to act on the second interim report by inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff, published in April 2023.

She said: “With two people dying on average still every week, I wonder if the prime minister understands that whilst accepting the moral case for compensation to be paid in December 2022, the failure of his government to act on the second interim report by Sir Brian in April [2023] has added another layer of hurt.”

She added: “And I hope very much from what the prime minister has said this afternoon, that by the end of this year compensation payments will start to be made to all those infected and affected”.

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