Ref. 28795-25Dawn Mobey believes her husband Chris died because of a National Health Service bungle. Now she is demanding compensation from the Government so that she can support her three children.

THE WIDOW of a man who died after contracting hepatitis C through an NHS blood scandal is furious that she is to get no payout.

Health Secretary John Reid has announced that hundreds of victims whose infection was found to be caused by NHS treatment with blood products before September 1991 when routine screening began will receive compensation packages of up to £45,000.

But widows of those who have died of which there are thought to be around 200 in the UK will get nothing.

South Swindon MP Julia Drown wants to know why and is drafting a letter to Dr Reid demanding answers.

Swindon haemophiliac Chris Mobey died in August 2001. He was injected with Factor Eight a substance made from blood contributions using several donors, sometime before 1991, although it is not known exactly when.

He was diagnosed as having hepatitis C in 1993.

The virus lay dormant until 1999 when it caused cirrhosis of the liver and he was forced to have a transplant. The transplant initially went well but the liver became seriously infected, and he underwent a second transplant which was even more severely infected.

He was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on August 24, 2001, where he died later that day due to severe internal bleeding. He was aged 38.

An inquest afterwards recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

At the time, the coroner David Masters said: "Mr Mobey's death came about from a deliberate human act, which was the formulation and giving of the contaminated product."

His wife Dawn now 34 is struggling to raise their three children, Kimberley, 11, Darren, nine and Kelly, three, single-handedly.

Three weeks ago, Mrs Mobey, who still lives at the family home in Wimpole Close, Park South, finally felt strong enough to step up the number of hours she works at Goddard Primary School as a care assistant.

She is slowly beginning to get back on her feet after months of depression.

But she says this latest news has brought it all flooding back.

"The NHS killed my husband and it's as simple as that," said Mrs Mobey, who is still forced to take daily anti-depressants.

"It's a disgrace, how can the Government do this to a family?

"This is a slap in the face to the hundreds of families of those who have died."

Mrs Mobey had hoped that any compensation would have helped to secure her children's future.

She said: "I just want my children to be able to get on with life and this money could have helped to send them to college when they're older. It doesn't come cheap these days."

His son Darren, who was just seven when he lost his dad, remembers playing games with him.

He said: "He was really nice and I used to play Wheels on the Bus on his belly.

"We also drew funny cartoons together and made Lego models. I really miss him."

Labour peer Lord Morris of Manchester, president of the Haemophilia Society, said: "It is a matter of grave concern that widows of those who have died are not to be included in the scheme."

Ms Drown said: "I will be seeking to get some help for Mrs Mobey although the current criteria looks like this is not going to be possible. Dr Reid has wanted to give help to victims of those who contracted hepatitis C but it seems that generosity could not extend to families."

Kevin Shoesmith