12 June 2009 Forty Seventh Meeting

  • The Minutes and Resolutions of the previous meeting were approved.
  • It was reported that there were 168 victims of vCJD as at 1 June 2009, according to the figures on the National CJD Surveillance Unit website. However Charles Russell was aware of 174 victims. Main Applications had been received in relation to 173 claims. By the end of this meeting, the Trustees had considered 170 of the claims submitted to date. The Trustees had considered a total of 365 claims for £5,000 Psychiatric Injury, 201 claims for Particular Emotional Hardship and 40 claims for Particular Financial Hardship.
  • The meeting included consideration of two new claims, in part, two claims for Particular Emotional Hardship and one claim for Carer’s Loss of Earnings.
  • 38.16m had been paid in compensation by the date of the meeting. £11.38m had been paid for costs and expenses, which included £4.97 million in relation to Charles Russell’s fees (inc VAT), £3.45 million in relation to Irwin Mitchell’s fees (inc VAT) and £236,000 in relation to other solicitors fees and expenses (inc VAT).
  • The meeting was David Churchill’s last, and the Trustees thanked him for his huge contribution to the Scheme. The Trustees considered the best approach to advertise for a replacement as Family Representative following his retirement.
  • Progress of the Trustees’ proposals to the Department of Health to revise the Scheme was discussed. It was reported that the Department of Health had rejected the radical proposals put forward but that the more limited proposals were likely to be approved.
  • It was agreed that the Human BSE Foundation, the CJD Suport Network and all lawyers who had acted for families of victims in the past should be consulted in relation to the proposed, more limited revisions.
  • Urgent claims for expenses were considered on behalf of one family.

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