Blood donation clinic planning move to city centre

The Blood Transfusion Services Board, currently at the centre of the haemophilia tribunal, is moving its donor clinic to an office overlooking O'Connell Bridge in Dublin as part of a radical review of its facilities. The board is also switching the remainder of its operations from Pelican House, at Mespil Road, in Ballsbridge, to a new building nearing completion in the grounds of St James Hospital.

The BTSB is currently agreeing the terms of a lease for part of the former ICS building, at the corner of Westmoreland Street and D'Olier Street, with Treasury Holdings. Planning permission has been sought to convert the second floor of the building, and part of the third floor, from a retail area into a donations clinic which, if it goes ahead, will take up a total of 4,500 sq ft.

The board will also move its laboratory, IT, personnel and administrative operations to a new purpose-built National Blood Centre in the grounds of St James Hospital, designed by architects Scott Tallon Walker. The new centre, complete with equipment, has been set up at a cost of £30 million.

According to deputy CEO, Andy Kelly, the Mespil Road building, which it has leased for 25 years from Treasury Holdings, is inadequate for the BTSB's needs. The former ICS building in the city centre was chosen as a site for their donation's clinic because it is "a good footfall location" and will be above the Manchester United store, which is currently under construction, and will be "a good landmark."

"We have been reviewing our whole donations system. We wanted a better result and to get that, we needed a better donation area. We don't expect that planning permission will be refused but we can't pre-empt that. But if it goes ahead, it will be a good location for us, good for passing traffic and it is on many of the major bus routes. We will capture more donations in the morning and evening when people are going and coming from work."

The area will include a screening area and accommodation for staff and stores. But even a city centre location has its limitations, namely a lack of nearby parking. The BTSB has tentative plans to open a donations unit in the suburbs. If planning permission is granted for the redevelopment of Stillorgan Shopping Centre, which has a substantial catchment area, the BTSB has an option of a unit there.

"But that's two years down the line. Whether or not the Stillorgan clinic goes ahead, we will keep the city centre clinic open. We will be in it for the long haul," says Kelly.

Building began on the new National Blood Centre in the south eastern corner of the St James Hospital site in the summer of 1998 and is now almost complete. The building has a rectangular laboratory area with a curved office block attached. Donations will be grouped, screened and bagged and there will also be office facilities.