Limerick East): I have already informed the House that, following the introduction of HIV donor screening tests by the Blood Transfusion Service Board in October 1985, no lookback was undertaken between 1985 and 1989 in respect of earlier donations made by donors who were now screening positive for HIV. A lookback procedure was in place from 1989 onwards for newly presenting donors. As the House will be aware, the BTSB has intensified its HIV lookback to trace all recipients of potentially HIV infected blood issues.
Given that there can be no guarantee that all, or indeed any, of the untraced issues will ever be traced, and also because of the possibility that some donors who were HIV positive prior to the introduction of HIV donor screening in October 1985 did not donate after October 1985 and cannot, therefore, be identified, I decided to introduce an optional HIV testing programme to offer screening of blood transfusion and blood product recipients who may be at risk, however small that risk may be.
Before commencing such a programme it is essential that the risk, if any, involved for recipients must be determined, as far as possible, to enable each recipient to make a fully informed decision, in consultation with his or her general practitioner, in relation to availing of screening. The element of risk for recipients will vary according to the year in which they received the transfusion or blood product and according to the specific product they received. I am confident that the preparations for the HIV testing programme, which are well advanced, will be completed before the end of this month.
A draft booklet notifying general practitioners about the relevant risks to recipients in relation to the different blood and blood products which they might have received and in relation to the year in which they received them is almost completed.This booklet will enable GPs to assist their patients in reaching a fully informed decision as to whether to undergo HIV testing under the screening programme.
In the meantime, the BTSB target lookback is continuing and the following is the up to date position. A total of 25 blood donors have tested positive for HIV since screening was introduced in 1985. Eight of those were first time donors and accordingly no risk of HIV transmission to recipients was involved. In the case of ten of the remaining 17 donors, recipients of potentially infected issues were traced and none of the recipients tested positive.
The tracing of recipients of the issues from the remaining seven donors has been rendered very difficult by the absence of the BTSB dispatch records for the period prior to 1986. Of the 33 issues from those seven donors, 15 were donated prior to 1981 and are not regarded as a potential source of infection. The residual problem relates to tracing the recipients of the balance of the 18 issues derived from the potentially infected blood donations made prior 1985. Seven of the issues have been traced leaving 11 issues of concern remaining.
In relation to the HIV tribunal, it is the Government's intention to establish a tribunal of inquiry to examine the HIV infection of blood and blood products manufactured and distributed by the BTSB, and such further matters in respect of blood and blood products as may require investigation in the light of the report of the hepatitis C tribunal.
The report of the hepatitis C tribunal was submitted to me on 6 March 1997 and published on 11 March 1997. I have already met the Irish Haemophilia Society in relation to the terms of reference of the proposed tribunal of inquiry. I will have further consultations with the society on the detailed drafting of the terms of reference and it is my intention to proceed with the establishment of the tribunal of inquiry at the earliest possible date. My first priority, however, at this time is to ensure the enactment of the legislation on the compensation tribunal which will be published later this week.
