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Victims and their families of the contaminated blood scandal of the 1970s and 1980s have won a ruling allowing them to launch a High Court action to seek damages.

An official of the court said it was “appropriate” to immediately issue a group litigation order allowing a potential 500 claimants – surviving victims of contamination and the families of the deceased – to join together to claim compensation.

It is understood between 20 and 30 people in Wales have expressed an interest in seeking compensation through this group action

Senior Master Fontaine made the order despite opposition from lawyers acting for the Department of Health who argued the application was “premature”.

Thousands of NHS patients were given blood products from abroad that were infected with hepatitis C and HIV.

At least 2,400 people died, including 70 from Wales.

It was caused by the NHS buying blood from suppliers in the United States who used “Skid Row” donors, such as prison inmates, more likely to have HIV and Hepatitis C.

The scandal has been described as one of the “worst treatment disasters in the history of the NHS” and was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people, many of whom had been haemophilia patients.

David Thomas, a dad-of-two from Penarth, has spent the past three decades with hepatitis C after being given tainted blood as a teenager in the 1980s.

Reacting to the court ruling, he said: “It is not clear who the 500 claimants are, but we are all part of the same tragedy so I initially see this as fantastic news.

“It is a positive step forward.”

But Mr Thomas said he was more interested in an inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal.

The Haemophilia Wales trustee said: “I see the inquiry as where the real truth is going to come out.”

Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman confirmed in July that a consultation will now take place, with those affected to decide exactly what form the inquiry will take, such as a Hillsborough-style independent panel or a judge-led statutory inquiry.

He said: “It is a tragedy that has caused immeasurable hardship and pain for all those affected and a full inquiry to establish the truth of what happened is the right course of action to take.

“It is going to be a wide-ranging inquiry.”

Julie Morgan, Assembly Member for Cardiff North and chair of the Assembly’s Cross Party Group on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, said: “I welcome the news that the High Court has said victims of the contaminated blood scandal will be able to bring a group action.

"This is the first step on a long journey for people were given infected blood. So far we know that 20 to 30 people in Wales have expressed an interest in seeking compensation through this group action. Other victims should contact Haemophilia Wales whose lawyers are liaising with the London solicitors on this.

“So far 70 people have died in Wales and at least 273 are living with the life-threatening consequences of receiving infected blood.

"I chair the Assembly’s Cross Party Group on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood and we are meeting today – this will be top of our agenda.

"We are also fighting for a judge-led statutory public inquiry so that people can, once and for all, find out how this tragedy was allowed to happen and so people can finally get closure on this terrible historical injustice.”