Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 2

Written Answers. - Blood Transfusion Service.

Bernard Allen

Question:

200 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the situation where a voluntary reporting system of adverse reactions to products is still in operation by transfusion surveillance officers despite a recommendation by the 1997 Finlay Tribunal that such reporting should be mandatory and governed by new law. [13575/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

It is clear from the report of the tribunal of inquiry chaired by Mr. Justice Finlay that health professionals have a clear professional duty to report adverse reactions to blood components or blood products.

Following detailed consultations between the Irish Medicines Board – IMB – the blood transfusion service board, now the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board, and my Department, procedures for the reporting of abnormal reactions to blood or blood components have been now put in place. The procedures mirror those that already apply in the case of abnormal reactions to medicinal products.

A national haemovigilance office has been established within the IBTS. The main functions of the office are to receive, collate and follow up reports from hospitals and general practitioners of adverse reactions to blood components. The Establishment Order of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service was amended by S.I. No. 22 of 2000 to provide a statutory basis for the office and also to require it to furnish reports of adverse reactions to blood components to the IMB. The office provides dedicated training and advice to hospitals and health professionals throughout the country and is led by a consultant haematologist.

In preparation for the establishment of the national haemoviligance office, my Department in March 1999 requested hospitals to put the necessary arrangements in place to ensure that abnormal reactions to blood components are reported. To achieve this important objective, my Department provided dedicated resources to hospitals to develop and strengthen transfusion medicine including their haemovigilance support service. In 1999 £1.35 million was made available to hospitals to improve transfusion practice and to support the implementation of the national haemovigilance programme. A further £1.6 million has been made available this year.

This year will see the first full year of operation of the newly established reporting system. My Department in conjunction with the IMB and the IBTS will review the operation of the current haemovigilance system at that stage and determine what further measures including legislative are necessary to improve this system.