I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Noonan, for listening to my please over the past number of weeks about the difficulties which signing the health regulations would have caused, particularly for those in psychiatric care. I am pleased to welcome the climb-down in relation to the regulations.
We must look at the latest controversy about hepatitis C in the same way as the original controversy about Anti D. There is, however, one significant difference. The women who received Anti D were in good health in contrast to those who received blood transfusions because, as we all know, one only gets a blood transfusion if one is seriously ill. That is the first major difference between the two groups.
The contaminated blood was supplied to the second group from the same source, namely the Blood Transfusion Service Board. They suffer the same uncertainties as Anti D sufferers and, in many cases, the prognosis appears to be worse. It is important that the hospitals concerned with the treatment of the transfusion hepatitis C sufferers should be willing to provide all their medical records. As the Minister said, they are entitled to that. However, not all the sufferers have been provided with their full medical records. It is important that the Department and the Minister give a lead to ensure that this becomes the norm in every health board area.
It is important to emphasise that this second group of hepatitis C sufferers includes not only women; but men and children. The services which have already been provided to the Anti D women should be provided to the transfusion hepatitis C sufferers and I include, in particular, out of pocket expenses. I wrote to the Minister earlier this week about one of my constituents. While I will not mention the person's name, I would like to explain the circumstances of the case. This woman has been refused travel and subsistence expenses for hepatitis C testing by the Blood Transfusion Service Board. Her hospital bills, which were not fully covered by the VHI, and which she sent to the Blood Transfusion Service Board for a refund of the outstanding amount have been returned. It said it would only include this group in out of pocket expenses in hardship cases. Many of the people I deal with live in remote areas and must travel some distance for treatment. Often they must get somebody to look after the home and their partner must drive them to the hospital or unit for treatment. It is important that out of pocket expenses are available to them in the same way as it is to Anti D sufferers.
In the light of what we have now discovered, it is important that the Minister implements what he said he would consider two months ago and give them equal access to the tribunal. The Minister has admitted, through the Blood Transfusion Service Board, that there are at least 500 people in this category of which 100 cannot be traced and I would like the Minister to explain why. This creates a difficulty for the Blood Transfusion Service Board in terms of confidence. Each time I spoke on this issue I said that my first concern is for those who have contracted hepatitis C and that my second concern, which is an equal one, is that confidence in the Blood Transfusion Service Board's services and the level of donations should be maintained. That is important because blood is a vital part of the health care system.
I ask the Minister to initiate not only a Lookback study, but an independently chaired study of those infected by contaminated blood through transfusions. That is the only ethical way in which the Minister can restore the confidence in the Blood Transfusion Service Board which has been damaged to some extent.