The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024

Made: 22nd August 2024

Laid before Parliament: at 10.00 a.m. on 23rd August 2024

Coming into force: at 11.00 p.m. on 23rd August 2024

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 1 — General

Citation, commencement and extent

1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Interpretation

2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 2 — Establishment and administration of the infected blood compensation scheme

Establishment of the Scheme

3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Eligibility criteria for appointment as a member of the IBCA

4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cessation of disqualification from eligibility for appointment to the IBCA

5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Duties of the IBCA in relation to sums repaid to it

6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 3 — Meaning of “eligible infected person”

Meaning of “eligible infected person”

7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 4 — Compensation payments – core route

CHAPTER 1 — Preliminary

Compensation payments

8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Person to whom a compensation payment is to be paid

9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Compensation payments – offer and acceptance

10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 2 — Determining the amount of a compensation payment

Amount of a compensation payment

11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Court and other payments: avoidance of double recovery

12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Amount of periodic payments

13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Injury impact award

14

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Social impact award

15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Autonomy award

16

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Basic financial loss award: eligible infected persons

17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Additional financial loss award

18

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Additional financial loss award: eligible infected persons with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C

19

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Additional financial loss award: eligible infected persons with HIV

20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Care award

21

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 5 — Compensation payments – IBSS route

Compensation payments under the IBSS route

22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Amount of compensation payment under the IBSS route

23

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Interpretation of regulations 25 to 27

24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Past financial loss award

25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Past care award

26

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Support scheme top-up award

27

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Future financial loss and future care awards where an IBSS-registered person dies

28

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 6 — Applications for compensation payments from the Scheme

Giving of notices and documents

29

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Applications

30

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Date of application

31

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Time limit for making an application

32

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Applications for those registered under an infected blood support scheme

33

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Amendment or withdrawal of application by the applicant

34

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Duty of applicants

35

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Death before an application has been finally determined

36

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Evidence

37

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Burden of proof and standard of proof

38

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Decisions

39

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 7 — Reviews and appeals

Review initiated by the applicant

40

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Review initiated by the IBCA

41

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Appeals

42

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART 8 — Recovery of overpayments

Recovery of overpayments

43

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SCHEDULE — Infection severity levels for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C

Infection severity level	Description of infection severity level
Level 1: Hepatitis C only	Acute infection, being a transient, self-cleared infection
Level 2: Hepatitis B and / or Hepatitis C	Chronic infection characterised by: Hepatitis B – infection with confirmed Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity for longer than 6 months with detectable Hepatitis B virus DNA on a polymerase chain reaction test, if not on antiviral therapy Hepatitis C – infection with replicating Hepatitis C virus RNA
Level 3: Hepatitis B and / or Hepatitis C	1 Cirrhosis, characterised by serious scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by long-term liver damage caused by infection 2 Treatment of B–cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma caused by infection – single round treatment (first line therapy) 3 Type 2 or 3 cryoglobulinemia caused by infection accompanied by membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
Level 4: Hepatitis B and / or Hepatitis C	1 Decompensated cirrhosis caused by infection, characterised by: a the presence of hepatic encephalopathy (confusion due to liver damage), b ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdomen), c variceal haemorrhage (bleeding from dilated veins in the gullet or stomach), or d a Child-Pugh score greater than 7 2 Treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma caused by infection – multiple round treatment (second line therapy) 3 Long-term liver damage caused by infection necessitating liver transplantation 4 Presence of liver cancer caused by infection
Level 5: Hepatitis B only	Infection resulting in acute liver failure within 12 months of infection

Signed

Nick Thomas-Symonds — Minister for the Cabinet Office — Cabinet Office — 22nd August 2024

Explanatory note

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2024 c. 21. See section 50(6) for the meaning of “specified”.

[^f00002]: 2007 c. 18.

[^f00003]: “The Actuarial Tables with explanatory notes for use in Personal Injury and Fatal Accident Cases”, 8th edition, available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ogden-tables-actuarial-compensation-tables-for-injury-and-death.

[^f00004]: The IBCA is established by section 48 of the Act. Schedule 1 of the Act contains further provision about the IBCA.

[^f00005]: 1986 c. 45. Schedule 4A was inserted by section 257(2) of, and Schedule 20 to, the Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40) and amended by paragraph 63 of Schedule 19 to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24) and section 135(2)(b) of the Small Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2015 (c. 26).

[^f00006]: S.I. 1989/2405 (N.I. 19). Schedule 2A was inserted by the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 2005/1455 (N.I. 10).

[^f00007]: Schedule 4ZB was inserted by section 108(2) of, and Schedule 19 to, the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (c. 15).

[^f00008]: Schedule 2ZB was inserted by the Debt Relief Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 (c. 16).

[^f00009]: 1960 c. 67. There are a significant number of amendments to this Schedule to add named bodies to it to make them subject to the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960. Amendments of particular relevance include that made by paragraph 23 of Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Act to add the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to the list of bodies in the Schedule. Amendments have also removed bodies from the Schedule.

[^f00010]: 1986 c. 46.

[^f00011]: S.I. 2002/3150 (N.I. 4).

[^f00012]: 1986 c. 45. Section 429(2) was amended by section 269 of, and paragraph 15 of Schedule 23 to, the Enterprise Act 2002.

[^f00013]: 2005 asp 10, to which there is an amendment which is not relevant to these Regulations.

[^f00014]: 2011 c. 25. Section 79 was substituted by section 4(1) and (2) of the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016 (c. 4).

[^f00015]: 2008 c. 12 (N.I.).

[^f00016]: 2006 c. 41. Section 1(1) was substituted by section 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7).

[^f00017]: 2006 c. 42.

[^f00018]: 1978 c. 29.

[^f00019]: 1948 c. 3 (N.I.).

[^f00020]: 1971 c. 1 (N.I.). This Act repealed and replaced the Health Services Act (Northern Ireland) 1948.

[^f00021]: S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14). This Order repealed and replaced the Health Services Act (Northern Ireland) 1971.

[^f00022]: 2009 NI c. 1. This Act repealed Article 4 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972.

[^f00023]: 2005 c. 9.

[^f00024]: 2000 asp. 4. Section 57 has been amended by paragraph 9(4)(b) of Schedule 4, and Schedule 5, to the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (asp 13) and section 60(1) of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 10).

[^f00025]: S.I. 1986/595 (N.I. 4).

[^f00026]: 1989 c. 41.

[^f00027]: 1995 c. 36.

[^f00028]: S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2).

[^f00029]: Section 1 was amended by S.S.I. 2005/465.

Editorial notes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .