Limerick East): In the case of all recipients identified and traced by the BTSB under the targeted lookback programme either the recipient or the recipient's GP has been advised that the recipient may have received a potentially infected blood or blood product.
Under this programme there are currently 59 persons who have been identified by the BTSB as recipients of potentially infected blood or blood products who have not been traced to date for various reasons. Considerable effort to ascertain the current location of these persons is being made as a matter of urgency in order to advise them through their GPs that they may have received a potentially infected product and offer testing. This approach is in line with the main priority and the principal focus of the resources being applied under the targeted lookback programme which is to ensure that all recipients who were exposed to a potentially infected product are identified, traced and offered testing. Due to the demands on the BTSB, it has been necessary to give priority to tracing and informing living recipients.
To date, the BTSB has not sought to inform relatives of deceased persons that their deceased relatives may have received potentially hepatitis C infected units in the course of treatment. The BTSB is currently reviewing this matter in the light of the experience and evidence acquired in the lookback programme and particular attention is being addressed to the extremely small number of cases where hepatitis C may have contributed to the death of the deceased.