Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme information: FOI release

Information requested

In relation to the services provided by the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS) can you tell me;-

What discussions have the Scottish Government and SIBSS had with the UK Government and IBCA had with the about the cessation and transfer of services from SIBSS?

1. What meetings and or consultation exercises have been held with the community and or SIBSS boards about or related to removing counselling grants from vulnerable adults and or children?

2. What meetings and or consultation exercises have been held with the community and or SIBSS boards about or related to removing bereavement grants from grieving families / relatives of deceased infected blood victims?

3. What legal assessments have been made, and can copies of any legal advice provided to the Scottish Government about the decision to remove either bereavement grants and or counselling grants from IBSS services provided in Scotland by SIBSS?

4. What risk assessments as to the effects of removing counselling grants from vulnerable beneficiaries has been conducted relating to obligations under mental health provision?

Response

Since the UK Government (UKG) announced the setting up of the UK-wide Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) in May 2024, the Scottish Government (SG) has had regular discussions with the UKG and the IBCA about the cessation and transfer of services from SIBSS.

Consultation and engagement on the setting up of the IBCA, and on the setting up of the UK-wide infected blood compensation scheme, is led by the UKG. The IBCA is working to make final compensation payments to all infected and affected victims of the infected blood scandal; it does not directly seek to replicate the services that have been provided by any or all of the current UK infected blood support schemes to date. Rather, the UK infected blood compensation scheme – which is based on the recommendations and principles put forward by the Infected Blood Inquiry (IBI) and the IBI Response Expert Group, and informed by feedback from representatives of the infected and affected blood community – aims to provide a fair and comprehensive final compensation scheme that is quick and simple for eligible applicants to access with, for example, categories of awards including for financial losses suffered by bereaved partners and children. Given these intentions, and the existence of the Scottish Infected Blood Psychology Service and related NHS provision, no risk assessment has been made to date of removing the discretionary counselling grants (which remain in place as of this date) currently provided by SIBSS.

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested in Annex A to this letter.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under the following sections of FOISA applies to that information:

28(1) (Relations with the United Kingdom),
36(1) (Confidentiality in legal proceedings)

The reasons why those exemptions apply are explained in Annex B to this letter.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500476617 - Information released - Annex A

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FOI 202500476617 - Information released - Annex B

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91.2 kB