Experts to provide advice on economic impact
The Inquiry is appointing a new expert group to provide a report to the Inquiry about the economic impact of illness caused by infected blood and blood products and the cost-effectiveness of introducing earlier testing of blood donations.
In their January 2020 report, the Inquiry’s group of psychosocial experts were asked to consider the impact of financial hardship. They recommended that the Inquiry should commission a separate health economic analysis of the financial impacts of infection with HIV and/or hepatitis C.
The Inquiry then invited submissions from the legal representatives of core participants. The Inquiry has the expertise in terms of personal injury, clinical negligence and loss assessment to determine personal losses, informed by submissions. Sir Brian has decided that the health economists should focus on two aspects:
- An assessment of the economic costs of infection from blood and blood products, and the many consequences of this, to UK society as a whole, based on a “cost-of-illness study”, and
- An analysis of the cost effectiveness of introducing surrogate testing of blood donations before there was a test for hepatitis C, and of introducing earlier testing for hepatitis C.
The letter of instruction to the group with further detail can be found here.
The Inquiry is also proposing the nomination of the following experts:
- Dr Katharina Hauck
- Professor Paul McCrone
- Professor Timothy Hallett
- Dr Shevanthi Nayagam
- Dr Laura Downey
Professor Myfanwy Morgan from the psychosocial group will also contribute to the group.
Core participants are invited to comment on the nominations if they wish through their legal representatives or direct to the Inquiry if they are unrepresented by contacting [email protected]. The Inquiry would like to receive such comments by 1st March.
The group will be asked to produce a report towards the end of 2021.