Concerns have been raised about the expert appointed to advise the Government on compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal.

Cabinet Office minister John Glen has announced that Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery has been appointed as chair of a group of clinical, legal and social care experts to give “technical advice on compensation”.

But families affected by the scandal – widely deemed to be the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS – raised concerns about Sir Jonathan’s role at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where he has been chairman since 2019, and his membership of Bayer’s bioethics council.

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The Factor 8 campaign group said: “The Oxford NHS Trust is at the heart of the infected blood scandal and Bayer manufactured and supplied much of the HCV (hepatitis C virus) and HIV infected Factor VIII products to the UK during the 1980s.”

Its director, Jason Evans, said the group was worried that ministers were “seeking to water down” the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommendations on compensation.

The inquiry, which is due to publish its final report in May, has already made its final recommendations on compensation for victims and their loved ones.

Thousands of patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Government has previously been accused of dragging its feet over compensation and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was heckled when he appeared before the inquiry last year as he vowed to pay compensation “as swiftly as possible”.

In a written ministerial statement to the House of Commons, Mr Glen said: “Ensuring the victims of the infected blood scandal receive the justice and recognition they deserve remains my top priority and I look forward to working with Sir Jonathan and the expert advisory group to ensure that the Government has the relevant expertise to make informed choices in responding to the inquiry’s recommendations on compensation.”

Mr Glen added that he has been “reassured that the group is working as quickly as possible to advise the Government in responding to the inquiry’s recommendations following the publication of the final report”.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr Evans said: “Sir Robert’s framework and advice, which was welcomed by our community and endorsed by the Infected Blood Inquiry in its final compensation recommendations, has gone ignored by Government all this time.

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“Naturally, our community is concerned that the Government are seeking to water down the inquiry’s final compensation recommendations.

“The Oxford NHS Trust is at the heart of the infected blood scandal and Bayer manufactured and supplied much of the HCV (hepatitis C virus) and HIV infected Factor VIII products to the UK during the 1980s.”

The Oxford University Hospitals Trust has been approached for comment.