‘Executive must mirror scheme for victims of contaminated blood in NI’ – Ritchie | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

‘Executive must mirror scheme for victims of contaminated blood in NI’ – Ritchie

Margaret RitchieSDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has spoken in the House of Commons on the issue of contaminated blood, highlighting the needs of NI victims and their families.

She said, “Over the last forty years, the contaminated blood scandal has touched many lives across Britain and Ireland.

“Throughout my time as MP for South Down, I have worked to put this issue on the agenda and push the Department of Health to give victims and their families the support they need.

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nov-22-2016-big-box“Currently many victims of contaminated blood in Northern Ireland are able to access discretionary charities that operate throughout Britain and Northern Ireland,” she continued.

“However, after the forthcoming introduction of a new scheme in England for victims, these discretionary charities will close. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has not yet announced any equivalent scheme for the North. This will leave many victims and their families without any support.

“Regular payments must be in place and access to discretionary grants must be available to all those infected and their families.

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30th-nov-2016-small-box“I also call on both the British Government and the NI Executive to follow the example set by the Irish Government in acknowledging their responsibility for the illness caused by contaminated blood transfusions.

Ritchie added, “Only full transparency and accountability can prevent this tragic accident from happening again.”

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=58503

Posted by on Dec 2 2016. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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