Eligibility criteria for the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS): FOI release

Information requested

Information on the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS) on which medical professionals created the eligibility criteria for acceptance onto the the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS), and also information to whom is responsible for any amendments to the eligibility criteria for the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS).

Response

The answers to your questions are:

• The eligibility criteria for SIBSS were not created by medical professionals. They were drafted by the Scottish Government and used the same eligibility criteria that had been applied by the Alliance House Organisations, although in some cases amendments were made where the Financial Review Group which reported in 2015 recommended it. However, SNBTS staff did provide some advice on which types of blood products could have been infected with Hepatitis C and during what time periods to help inform the advice used by SIBSS staff in assessing applications; and
• The Scottish Government is responsible for considering and making any amendments to the SIBSS scheme.

About FOI

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