The Infected Blood Inquiry has issued a 210-page report condemning the government’s £11.8 billion compensation programme as too slow, opaque and fundamentally unfair. Chair Sir Brian Langstaff said victims of the 1970s-90s contaminated blood scandal are being “harmed further” by administrative delays and restrictive rules that repeat past mistakes. According to the report, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority has so far invited 2,043 people to claim, made 616 offers and paid 460 awards worth more than £326 million. Campaigners note that roughly 30,000 people were infected with HIV or hepatitis C and more than 3,000 have already died, with one victim now dying every few days while awaiting redress. Langstaff criticised the scheme for being devised without victim consultation, excluding anyone infected with HIV before 1982, and imposing onerous proof requirements for psychological harm. His recommendations call for claimants to apply directly rather than wait for invitations, priority processing for the most ill and elderly, wider eligibility for hepatitis and pre-1982 HIV cases, and greater transparency at the compensation authority. Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds said the government has already paid out more than £488 million and pledged to examine the report’s findings to ensure no further delays “after decades of injustice.” The Cabinet Office has promised to cut red tape as ministers weigh the inquiry’s proposals for faster and fairer compensation.