Compensation for people who fear they may develop CJD

Six people in their 20s and 30s who were treated with human growth hormone as children won compensation totalling more than £500000 ($800000) last week for the psychological effects of fears that they may develop Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The test cases open the way for compensation for up to 40 others, with a potential bill of £1.5m for the British government. Compensation for the 22 deaths for which the government has already been held liable—those where treatment was not completed before 1 July 1977—is …