Robin Walker MP has voted in favour of measures to support NHS infected blood scandal victims.

The Worcester MP backed amendments to speed up compensation for the victims of this scandal in a vote on the victims and prisoners bill, which was tabled by Labour MP Diana Johnson DBE and signed by numerous cross-party colleagues.

This amendment ensures the government will create a body to execute the compensation scheme, within three months of the new bill becoming law.

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The scandal pertains to incidents during the 1970s and 1980s, when individuals, particularly those with haemophilia, were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products, leading to widespread infection amongst haemophiliacs and the loss of a minimum of 3000 lives.

Mr Walker, along with campaigners, advocated for accelerating the compensation payments.

Even though around 4,000 surviving victims and partners of the deceased are due to receive interim £100,000 payments, the feeling amongst campaigners was that these payments were being delayed unnecessarily.

In 2023, Sir Brian Langstaff, chair of the inquiry into the scandal, called for the immediate establishment of a comprehensive compensation scheme, which should widen to include orphaned children and grieving parents.

Even with acknowledgment from ministers regarding the necessity for compensation, they first proposed deferring compensation payments until the release of the final inquiry, expected by March 2024.

Mr Walker voiced his intention to support the amendment during the King’s speech, driven by the lack of reasons not to expedite compensation.

The amendment was successfully passed after gaining the backing of 22 Conservative rebels.

Reflecting on the matter, Mr Walker said: "While I would have preferred the government to take action on this matter directly I felt it was necessary to support the cross party amendment in the name of the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee to end the delay in providing compensation to people affected by the infected blood scandal."

He added: "I never go against the whip lightly but in this case I did feel it was necessary and I am glad that the legislation is now in place to address this longstanding injustice.

"I am proud that my party put in place the inquiry and has provided the first payments to victims but I also felt it was right to work cross party in order to move this forward as swiftly as possible."