Sir Brian Langstaff - the former High Court judge who chairs the Infected Blood Inquiry - has estimated he will not be able to publish his final report into the scandal until autumn this year.
Sir Brian was speaking on the final day of public hearings at the Inquiry, which has spent more than four years examining the circumstances which saw thousands of people infected with lethal viruses including HIV and hepatitis C through NHS blood products, along with the Government's response to this.
He said he had been persuaded that July was too tight a timescale - due to the complicated legal process required and the need to alert those who may be subject to criticism - and that his final report and recommendations would instead be published in autumn. Sir Brian did however promise he would meet requests from the lawyers of those affected and infected to produce an interim report dealing with compensation - ideally before Easter.
Sir Brian said that, although he "wished he could": "I cannot at this stage tell you precisely when the report will be published - I wish I could - but I will tell you what I do know." He said that "the best estimate I can give is autumn".
Sir Brian added: "It has always been my intention to be as quick as reasonable thoroughness permits. Time is not a luxury I can squander. I assure you that I will be writing the report as fast as I can".
In discussing the rules which require those individuals or organisations subject to criticism to be notified, he promised "and there will be criticism". Regarding a further interim report, he added: "I anticipate that I will be in a position to do so before Easter, if not earlier. We will aim to tell you a week before publication when more precisely it is coming. The report will be shared with our contact list and published on the Inquiry website."
Both Sir Brian and Inquiry Counsel Jenni Richards KC spoke on Friday to thank those who have assisted the Inquiry over the past four and a half years. It has sat for 286 days of hearings and received more than 5,000 written statements.
Ms Richards pointedly quoted from a recent report from Patient Safety Commissioner for England Dr Henrietta Hughes which said: "Medicine is industrialised when it needs to be humanised". She also dealt with concerns from those including at the Department of Health and Social Care that "hindsight" should not be used to assess the treatment disaster.
She said this was not the case, telling Sir Brian: "You, sir, are not limited to assessing decisions by reference to the standards or norms at the time. You are entitled to say that what was done was wrong, if that is where the evidence takes you. You are entitled to said indeed that the standards and norms themselves were wrong."
Earlier on Friday - Sam Stein KC - instructed by Milners solicitors who have represented campaigners including Jesmond's Carol Grayson throughout the Inquiry gave his closing submission and highlighted the Government's "absolute lack of candour". Mr Stein also criticised the situation which has seen charity the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) given responsibility for funds which remained in the now-wound up Macfarlane Trust.
The Macfarlane Trust held funding to support those living with and affected by HIV due to the scandal. However Mr Stein said: "Without wishing to takeaway from the important and life changing work that the Terrence Higgins Trust has done over the last 40 years, their involvement with the former Macfarlane Trust registrants is simply inappropriate."
Mr Stein said that his clients' wishes ran into "conflict" with THT - and that they wished the remaining money to be shared among the Haemophilia Societies in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and used for the creation of monuments to those who have died.
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