More than 150 people attend first in-person event in Manchester
Published 9 April 2026
From: Infected Blood Compensation Authority
- More than 150 people attended IBCA’s first community drop-in session in Manchester on Thursday 26 March 2026
- The event was a chance to informally meet IBCA staff face-to-face to ask questions about infected blood compensation
- IBCA Chief Executive David Foley pays his respects at the Infected Blood Inquiry Memorial at the University of Manchester
More than 150 people were able to ask questions, get practical support and share feedback with staff from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) during the first event in Manchester.
IBCA is an independent body, which pays compensation to people infected and affected by HIV, hepatitis B and C through contaminated blood or blood products.
The event was the latest in a number of drop-in sessions IBCA is holding across the UK this year. They have been arranged after members of the infected blood community asked for the chance to speak informally with IBCA and to ask about specific areas of interest to them.
IBCA claim managers were on hand to answer questions on a range of issues including how the claim service is progressing and what it’s like to make a claim, and the legal team provided information about probate and the documents needed.
A community member from Manchester who attended said: “Everyone [we spoke to] has been so informative, friendly and understanding - I’m so glad to see you are dealing with this so respectfully.”
The day also allowed for members of IBCA’s Executive Committee and IBCA claim managers to meet with clinical staff from Manchester Haemophilia Comprehensive Care Centre and support staff from HIV charity, George House Trust, to build a greater understanding of IBCA’s role and explore ways of working more closely together.
David Foley, IBCA Chief Executive, said:
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to come and meet with us at our community in-person event in Manchester.
“IBCA is committed to putting people at the heart of what we do. There is no better way of more fully understanding the experiences of people claiming compensation than hearing from them first hand.”
“Events like this one are so important as they offer the opportunity to meet with people face to face, listen to their feedback and concerns, and answer their questions.
“We’ve received very positive feedback from those who attended, as they told us they now feel better informed about the compensation claim process after meeting us, and that they feel valued and heard.”
Ahead of the community drop-in session, David Foley visited the Infected Blood Inquiry Memorial in its permanent home at the University of Manchester, to pay his respects on behalf of IBCA, its board members and staff.
On visiting the Infected Blood Inquiry Memorial, David Foley said:
“The Infected Blood Inquiry Memorial is a permanent and powerful reminder of the enormous harm caused to so many people by infected blood. It was very moving to see the experiences and memories of those impacted, and it allowed a reflective moment before meeting members of the infected blood community.”
The next community drop-in events are being held in:
- London on Wednesday 29 April
- Liverpool on Tuesday 12 May
- Belfast on Thursday 4 June
- Cardiff on Tuesday 30 June
Further information is available on the IBCA website events page, or sign up to Community Updates at ibca.my.site.com.