Health Secretary welcomes launch of new Scottish Infected Blood Scheme

The new Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme is now operational and will begin making payments to beneficiaries this month. 
The scheme, managed by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), has taken over this role from the existing UK support schemes as a result of the recommendations made by the independent Scottish Financial Review Group, of which The Hepatitis C Trust were a part, in December 2015.
In response to the news of the scheme’s official launch, Health Secretary Shona Robison MSP said:
“The needs of patients and their families are very much at the heart of the new Scottish payment system, which will deliver improved support for those affected by infected blood in Scotland.
“The new scheme recognises that their needs are complex and will continue to change over time. It will be more responsive to them, simplifying the approach to support which was previously delivered by several different UK organisations.
“The Scottish Government is committed to doing all we can to help the people affected by this terrible chapter in the history of our health service. We remain the only country in the UK to have held a full public inquiry and I’m proud that we can now offer the most generous package of support in the UK to those infected and their families.”