'I was living a death sentence': Victim of blood scandal shares heartbreaking story - 'You can never compensate for those we lost!'

Around 3,000 of these individuals passed away during what is now dubbed the biggest scandal in the history of the NHS.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to pay "comprehensive compensation" to people affected by it following a damning report.

Jackie Britton was infected with Hepatitis C when she required a blood transfusion while giving birth in 1983 but it took until 2011 until she realised what had happened.

She explained: "Because my condition had gone for 30 years untreated I have now got cirrhosis of the liver and I have to be checked for cancer every six months."

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She added: "We feel like we have all been through the wringer, both physically and emotionally. We have all had to tell our stories because it was important for our dead to get our stories out there."

"And it's only by getting the stories out there that we've come to this point. We were classed as liars by politicians for decades, so they wouldn't have come to this conclusion willingly. They were brought kicking and screaming by us."

Britton went on to explain:: "If somebody had monitored me after my transfusion, I wouldn't have cirrhosis. The point that I started campaigning was when I knew that I wouldn't have been the only one who was living a death sentence and not knowing. So I wanted to get it out there to look for the undiagnosed victims. People are now coming forward and asking for tests."

The victim then said: "Obviously people that have lost the ultimate, they've lost family members. You can never compensate for that."

A public inquiry found authorities had exposed victims to unacceptable risks and covered up the NHS's biggest treatment disaster.

The Infected Blood Inquiry accused doctors, the Government and the NHS of letting patients catch HIV and hepatitis while they were receiving NHS care between the 1970s and 1990s.

Rishi Sunak described the release of the report as a "day of shame for the British state" and vowed to pay "comprehensive compensation" to those affected and infected by the scandal.

"Whatever it costs to deliver this scheme, we will pay it," he told the House of Commons yesterday.

Asked how this has had an impact on her family, Britton said: "My daughter, she's a renal patient. I would put her on dialysis six days a week and she's just had a transplant, pancreas and kidney in October.

"Every time she had a blood transfusion, we take photos of the blood bag, so that if anything happens.

"One time she had a transfusion and the doctors told me she hadn't had it and I've got the picture.

"I said she had the transfusion. Don't tell me that she hasn't."