Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:47 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the history of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in Cork; and his future plans in this regard. [5870/01]
Written Answers. - Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:86 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to the dispute in the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in Cork; and if he will now intervene to ensure there will be full blood testing facilities in Cork to the best international standards in the future. [5869/01]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 47 and 86 together.
The board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, IBTS, at its meeting in January 2001 approved a draft planning brief for submission to my Department for a new transfusion centre in Cork. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department gave approval on 23 February to the IBTS for the immediate establishment of a project team to prepare a design brief for the new facilities.
In addition, as the Deputy is aware, considerable investment has already taken place in the Cork centre. A new IT system will be operational shortly, which is the world-leader in systems for transfusion centres. The staff of the Cork centre have taken the lead role in the implementation of this key project. Additional IT and quality assurance staff have been appointed. A second consultant haematology post has been approved and funding has been made available for this appointment. Capital of more than £500,000 has been invested in the centre to improve facilities including the provision of a new components processing laboratory.
In relation to the current controversy over testing, I recently met representatives of the Southern Health Board, and I have also met other groups involved in the health services, and listened carefully to their views. The IBTS operates in a fast moving and challenging area of the health system in which there is a full and demanding role for the board, management and the entire staff of the organisation at all levels. There is a responsibility on all concerned to resolve the difficulties which exist between the Cork centre of the IBTS and its national headquarters to ensure a truly national service and to progress with its core business of developing best transfusion practice for the future. I understand the board has decided to engage external human resource expertise to assist in achieving a resolution of current problems and establish an improved platform on which to move forward. I welcome this initiative and would urge staff to fully engage in this process.
On 5 February 2001, I announced the issue of, A Guideline for the Transfusion of Red Blood Cells in Surgical Patients, which has been produced by the National Blood Users Group. The membership of this group, established by my predecessor, comprises blood user experts from hospitals nationally. The guideline states that the use of proven strategies that reduce exposure to donated blood should be made widely available and applied where appropriate. Such strategies include autologous transfusion techniques and surgical, anaesthetic and pharmacological approaches that reduce blood loss. My Department is currently making the guideline available to all hospitals, general practitioners and medical schools.
A special board meeting of the IBTS is scheduled for today to consider further strategies to address the concerns of the possible transmission of variant CJD, vCJD, by blood transfusion. These strategies include deferral of some donors, replacement of products currently manufactured by the IBTS, including red cells, by products sourced in BSE free countries, and optimal use of blood components. These developments will have major repercussions for the core business of the IBTS.