Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 2

Written Answers. - Blood Products.

Bernard Allen

Question:

263 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the financial resources which have been allocated in 2002 to health boards in order to take account of the increase in charges for blood products and the rising use of related treatments in 2002. [7618/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service, IBTS, derives its income from charges to hospitals for the blood components, blood products and services which it provides. In order to meet anticipated increases in the service's cost-base in 2002, a range of increases in blood components, blood products and services were approved by my Department in December 2001, with effect from 1 January 2002.

To meet these increases I have allocated an additional €12.678 million to the health boards and the ERHA for 2002, including €3.687 million to cover increased usage and cost of clotting factors products for persons with haemophilia. The allocation assumes a reduction of 2% in the use of blood components in 2002. The details are set out in the following table.

Health Board	m/€
ERHA	8.502
Midland	0.217
Mid-Western	0.449
North-Eastern	0.413
North-Western	0.290
South-Eastern	0.684
Southern	1.297
Western	0.826

Note: The SHB figure includes provision for South Infirmary/Victoria and Mercy Hospital; the WHB figure includes Portiuncula Hospital.

The additional income which derives from these increases will be used to fund the following: costs associated with the continued implementation of the service's redevelopment plan together with its blood quality and safety programme; costs arising in respect of measures to minimise the risk of transmission of vCJD including the replacement of plasma and cryoprecipate with imported products; loss of income arising from the reduction in the demand for red cells through the introduction of blood conservation strategies in hospitals; costs of new mobile clinic in the western region and fixed donor clinics; increased donor recruitment and advertising costs; new HIV and hepatitis B core tests to enhance blood quality and safety; pathogen inactivation of labile blood products and increased pay costs under the Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness.

The amount set aside for IBTS price increases represents 8% of the total amount of development funding available to the acute hospital sector in 2002. There is therefore a requirement on the IBTS to deliver its services in a manner which ensures efficiency and value for money notwithstanding the necessity to continue to improve blood safety in line with international developments. My Department has requested the IBTS to reflect this objective in all of its activities, existing and planned. Given the impact of these increases on hospital development, I expect the IBTS to implement an efficiency programme to achieve greater economy and effectiveness without compromising blood safety.