The son of a Kent victim of the contaminated blood scandal says Rishi Sunak needs to “pull his finger out” as the Prime Minister prepares to be quizzed today during the on-going public inquiry.

It comes amid mounting frustration from those infected or personally affected by one of the biggest NHS scandals of the 20th century.

They say compensation schemes, already recommended by the inquiry, have been delayed by the government – which is insisting on waiting for the final inquiry report to be published.

That isn’t due until later this year. Campaigners fear the delays will see others caught up in the tragedy die before they get the compensation they deserve.

The inquiry, first announced in 2017, is an extensive look into how infected blood products were administered during the 1970s and 1980s – leaving thousands of victims with the likes of HIV and hepatitis.

Many of those infected were haemophiliacs who suffered from a genetic condition which prevented the blood from clotting.

They were treated with a commercial blood plasma product called Factor VIII. Designed to be administered to allow their blood to temporarily clot when undergoing surgery or dental treatment, it was frequently imported.

“This is all down to the government all those years ago, trying to make a fast buck by buying American blood, which was cheaper...”

However, blood plasma donors in the United States were frequently sourced from high-risk groups, which included prisoners, prostitutes and drug users.

As a consequence, thousands of people in the UK receiving the product were infected with life-shortening conditions.

It is estimated around 5,000 received the contaminated treatment – with around 2,900 dying since. Many continue to battle the conditions they were unwittingly given.

Among them was Peter Wratten – a haemophiliac from Ashford. He was treated with Factor VIII after suffering a bleed in his stomach in the mid-1980s. He was infected with hepatitis C as a result.

The condition attacks the liver and, up until recently, could not be cured.

He died from complications of the condition in 2011. He was just 54.

To compound the family’s pain, Peter’s two brothers – also haemophiliacs – were also treated and infected with Factor VIII. All died within three years of each other.

His son, Tim Wratten, who was 16 at the time of his father’s death, has long been campaigning for justice.

He explains: “We're going to say to Rishi Sunak: ‘You know what's going on and when are you going to sort it out? Pull your finger out.’

“Everybody needs to be recognised. Compensation has to be initiated and sorted out within 12-18 months, so everyone can live their lives.

“This is all down to the government all those years ago, trying to make a fast buck by buying American blood, which was cheaper.”

He wants to see all those affected by the scandal giving financial and emotional support for the trauma they have gone through.

He was a mild haemophiliac treated with Factor VIII. He was forced to give up his job due to his health problems and denied having a family amid anxieties over whether he had been infected with anything else.

He and his now-widow, Su Gorman, had become active campaigners for justice – a role Su continues to this day.

The proceedings have so far been praised by campaigners who long fought for a full public inquiry to get to the root of how infected blood could be used so widely and for suitable compensation for those infected and affected.

The hearings this week have so far included appearances by former Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt and the man now in the position, Jeremy Quinn. Both denied the government was dragging its feet on paying out.

The Prime Minister will appear today, and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt on Friday.

They are all presenting a government response to the scandal and addressing the issue of compensation.