'We fear we will die before infected blood justice'

A Surrey man who was injected with infected blood at a boarding school says he worries he will die before seeing justice.

Steve Nicholls, 58, who lives near Farnham, became infected with hepatitis C and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) after unknowingly taking part in medical trials at Treloar's School in Alton, Hampshire, in the 1970s and 1980s.

Further hearings of the Infected Blood Inquiry, beginning on Wednesday, will focus on the government's response to compensation for those affected by the scandal, with Mr Nicholls adding there had been "very little progress" on the scheme.

A government spokesperson said infected blood victims had suffered "unspeakably" and that it remains committed to cooperating with the inquiry.

Mr Nicholls, a retired service engineer, went to Treloar's School while being treated for haemophilia alongside about 120 children who were also infected.

About 80 of those infected have died, with Mr Nicholls saying he is representing them and their families.

He added: "We knew that this was a tragedy that was no accident and we would fight to get the truth told. Whoever was left would fight and fight and fight."

Mr Nicholls said: "We all feel very, very scared that we are going to die before we see justice or any compensation."

Students at the school were unknowingly included in secret trials of blood products imported from America, some of which were infected with HIV and hepatitis.

Mr Nicholls said that, following the publishing of Sir Brian Langstaff's report into the scandal in May 2024, victims felt "recognised and validated" but there had been little progress in paying out compensation since.

A government spokesperson says it has paid £80 million in compensation out of a total £11.8 billion earmarked for compensation having given itself until the end of 2029 to make payments.

More than 30,000 people contracted HIV and hepatitis from contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s – and 3,000 people have since died.

The government spokesperson added: "The victims of this scandal have suffered unspeakably.

"We remain fully committed to cooperating with the Inquiry, are acting on its recommendations, and are grateful for its work to date."

A spokesperson for Treloar's School says it "sincerely apologises to our former students and their families who were so devastatingly infected and affected by the infected blood scandal".

They added: "The inquiry's report lays bare the full extent of this horrifying national scandal. We are deeply saddened that some of our former pupils were so tragically infected and their families affected and we expect the government to implement its compensation plans without further delay."

The school has also backed plans for a public memorial to former pupils who died as a result of the infected blood scandal.

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