Minutes

19th September 2003 - Fifteenth Meeting

The Minutes and Resolutions of the previous meeting were approved. It was reported that there were 140 victims of vCJD as at 1 September 2003, according to the figures on the Department of Health's website. It was recognised that it is difficult for the Trustees to identify how much of the Discretionary Fund should be set aside to meet claims for particular hardship as a result of family members having to pay higher insurance/mortgage premiums because of their relationship with a victim of vCJD. No claims had been put forward to date. The Trustees were concerned that claims for care under clause 5.3 of the Trust Deed were being submitted even though these could not be paid because the care had been provided after the date of a Care Package for the victim or 31 March 2001, whichever is the earlier. Charles Russell updated the Trustees on the application by Irwin Mitchell for a professional trustee to be appointed in cases where payments were made to minors. The Trustees made some amendments to the Checklist that is sent to GPs to complete where claims are made by family members for the single sum of £5,000 as a result of having suffered an identifiable psychiatric injury lasting longer than a calendar month that has been caused or materially aggravated by the fact that the victim has contracted vCJD. v The Trustees considered 3 new claims, 43 claims by family members of 26 victims for the single sum of £5,000 referred to above, 1 claim with outstanding issues, 1 part-payment and 1 claim with an issue in relation to eligibility.

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