Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Regarding the England Infected Blood Support Scheme.

1- How many applications from new applicants (people who had not applied to any fund previously) were received in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022?

2- How many applications were received from people (A) diagnosed with hepatitis C between January 2015 and December 2019 (B) diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2020 (C) diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2021 (D) diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2022 (E) diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2023?

The following questions refer to all applications ever received by the England Support Scheme:

3- Please provide a breakdown of how many applications have been received by ethnicity, from applicants diagnosed with either hepatitis C or HIV. What proportion of applications have been approved for each group?

4- Please provide a breakdown of how many applications have been received by gender, from applicants diagnosed with either hepatitis C or HIV. What proportion of applications have been approved for each group?

5- Please provide a breakdown of how many applications have been received by disability, from applicants diagnosed with either hepatitis C or HIV. What proportion of applications have been approved for each group?

6- Please provide a breakdown of how many applications have been received by age / age group, from applicants diagnosed with either hepatitis C or HIV. What proportion of applications have been approved for each group?

The following clarification was subsequently received regarding question 6:

If possible, could the age breakdown be split into the following brackets:

0-19 years
20-29 years
30-39 years
40-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
70-79 years
80-89 years
90-99 years
100+ years

7- Please provide a breakdown of how many applications have been received by HCV Genotype. What proportion of applications have been approved for each group?

8- Please provide a breakdown of how many applications have been received from people who cleared HCV without treatment. What proportion of applications have been approved for this group? What was the reason for any approvals (if any have been approved)?

Your clarified request was received on 31 May 2023 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Response

Question 1

A copy of the information is attached.

Please note we are unable to differentiate those beneficiaries who were (or were not) on previous schemes. The data outlines the number of applications received from bereaved and infected beneficiaries between 01/01/2018-31/12/2022.

Please note that this might not be the beneficiaries’ first application to the EIBSS scheme and some applicants may be counted more than once, e.g. if they may have had an earlier application declined, or if their condition changed. The 2,817 applications related to 2,399 individual applicants.

Question 6

A copy of the information is attached.

The data covers all applications received prior to 17th May 2023. As with question 1, some applicants may be counted more than once both within the same category (if they may have had an earlier application declined) and in different categories (if their condition changed).

Fewer Than 5 EIBSS Applications

Please be aware that I have decided not to release the exact number of applications, where the number is fewer than 5. In these cases, the proportion of successful applicants has also been withheld where this could reveal the number. This is because the applicants could be identified when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the Freedom of Information Act.

This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

a) it is not fair to disclose claimant personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.

b) these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the claimant.

Please click the web link below to see the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

Breach of Patient Confidentiality

Please note that the identification of claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA for the disclosure of the confidential information.

The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the Freedom of Information Act.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8

Following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by the NHS Business Services Authority.

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data please contact nhsbsa.foirequests@nhs.net ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2023” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.