FOI 0121 - Hep B stats, complaints, legal firms and medical experts

Requested: 9 June 2026

Responded: 8 July 2026

Published: 22 September 2026

This is IBCA’s response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Thank you for your email received on the 9th of June 2026 in which you made a request for access to certain information which may be held by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.

As you may be aware, the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Infected Blood Compensation Authority), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.

We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request and we provide a response for your attention.

You asked the following

1. In total how many HEPATITIS B only are registered with IBCA as the infected?
2. How many of the claims in each group of cohorts for Hep B have been asked to make a claim?
3. How many in each cohorts of for Hep B have been compensated since registration opened in October 2025?
4. How many Hep B victims have not been compensated who were invited to make a claim who registered with the NEW IBCA registration that opened in October 2025?
5. What were the reasons for not being paid compensation for the Hepatitis B claims registered on the new registration register which opened in October 2025?
6. Did any of the victims infected with Hep B only have any historical blood tests from the date of infection, if so was this enough for IBCA to pay compensation?
7. How were claims managed for victims infected with Hep B who did not have any historical blood test, and were successful in getting compensation?
8. My mother was infected with Hep B through a one off blood transfusion in 1984 due to an operation, my mother only found out in 2022 she was infected with Hep B during that operation, there are no historical blood tests, apart from a core antibody and core surface blood test which was detected, has IBCA paid any compensation to previously similar cases where compensation was paid in similar cases?
9. How many victims of Hep B who were invited to make a claim and cases had to be decided on the balance of probabilities of chronic infection because of a lack of blood test and a lack of medical evidence and were still successfully compensated?
10. How many Hep B claims were determined on the balance of probabilities due to no medical evidence found and were successfully compensated?
11. Could I have the names of the medical experts on IBCAs medical panel and what are their medical backgrounds, do they work for the NHS?
12. Which legal firms are on the IBCA panels that help make decisions for compensation?
13. How many claims were paid out for compensation in the Hep B cohorts for infected victims who ONLY had a positive core antibody hep B blood test in medical records and this was sufficient for compensation without any other blood tests requested by IBCA?
14. How many cases of Hepatitis B that were turned down for compensation now in the internal review stages with IBCA?
15. How many cases of Hepatitis B that were turned down for compensation now in tribunal or courts hearing for appeals?
16. How many complaints has IBCA received from victims infected during the claims process?

Our response

IBCA is unable to fulfil the entirety of your request. The reasons for this are set out below.

Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 exempts IBCA from the duty to comply with a request for information if the estimated cost of complying would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’. The ‘appropriate limit’ is specified in The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, and for IBCA this is set at £450.This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 18 working hours in determining whether IBCA holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting it.

Regulation 4 (4) of the Fees Regulations 2004 sets out that costs incurred in determining whether the requested information is held, locating, retrieving and extracting information are to be estimated at a rate of £25 per staff member per hour, expected to be spent on those activities. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 18 hours in determining whether IBCA holds the information and locating, retrieving and extracting it. Where the time for compliance with a request would exceed 18 hours, a request can be refused.

The cost of complying with your request exceeds the ‘appropriate limit’. This is because in order to respond to the request for questions 9 ,10 and 13, it would take up a significant amount of staff time on average a conservative minimum of 75 hours . This is in excess of the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450/18 hours of staff time. Therefore, IBCA is unable to provide you with the information you are seeking.

Under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act, IBCA has a duty to provide advice and assistance when refusing a request under section 12, to assist applicants in refining their request. IBCA may be able to comply with your request within the appropriate limit if you are to write back to us in relation to the remaining questions as they are likely to fall within the 18 hour cost limit.

Regarding Question 5, could you please clarify the scope of your request? Specifically, are you asking about every claim we have in total, or only the claims currently listed on the register?