New tests for blood donors to be brought in by BTSB

Advanced screening tests for hepatitis C and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in donated blood are to be introduced before the end of the summer by the Blood Transfusion Service Board.

Announcing yesterday a new drive aimed at restoring public confidence in the service, the BTSB said it was working with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service on new technology which would reduce the risk of the transmission of hepatitis C through transfusions. The technology is being phased in from the end of next month.

A further test which would remove a theoretical risk of transmission of CJD, the human form of mad cow disease, or new variant CJD, will be in place by June. The treatment involves leuco depletion, the removal of white cells from all donations.

The BTSB also unveiled yesterday a new quality-care charter for donors, a newly-designed donor card, and a new logo.

The chief executive of the board, Mr Martin Hynes, said the BTSB "recognises its failing and accepts responsibility for previous errors". He said it was also implementing all the recommendations of the Finlay report on the hepatitis C scandal which fell within its remit.

Among the recommendations was the building of a new clinic close to a teaching hospital, and this is being done at the St James's complex in Dublin. Construction of the centre is due to be completed in October.

Under the new charter, the BTSB makes a number of pledges, among them:

to care for donors in a confidential and professional manner;

to collect all donations with sterile disposable equipment;

to ensure all clinics are clean and comfortable;

to test all blood samples for transmissible diseases and to notify donors of any results which might affect their health.

A recent survey carried out by the board showed that 20 per cent of the population had given blood at some time, and 100,000 people visited BTSB clinics last year. The most common reason for not donating was fear of needles, closely followed by fear of getting infections from donating.

However, Dr Emer Lawlor, the BTSB's deputy national medical director, stressed "there is absolutely no risk of becoming infected through donating blood". She said the chances of viruses being transmitted through blood transfusions were extremely low, in the order of one in three million for HIV, one in 500,000 for hepatitis C and one in 100,000 for hepatitis B. These risks will be further reduced with the new tests, she said.

The board said it was now meeting its target of 3,000 units of blood a week, after a fall off in donations of about 30 per cent in the wake of the hepatitis C scandal.

Deferral rates are on the increase, however, due to greater health restrictions which bar people from donating.

The BTSB survey showed that 27 per cent of previous donors no longer gave blood because of health reasons while deferral rates at clinics currently run about about 13 per cent.

Dr Lawlor noted that regular donors, who account for 80 per cent of donations, "have been shown to be the safest donors as they are more aware of the possible risks to patients".

The launch yesterday coincided with the start of a new national advertising campaign, which includes the targeting of prime-time TV slots such as the ad-break during the popular hospital drama ER on RTE.