Dublin blood clinic to review operations

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is to review operations at its donor clinic in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, after it collected …

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is to review operations at its donor clinic in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, after it collected just 4,000 units of blood there last year.

A spokesman for the service said it had been disappointed by the performance of the clinic, which was opened in January 2004 to facilitate donors living close to its former headquarters at Pelican House, Dublin 4.

However, he ruled out the possibility of closing the clinic, saying the IBTS was looking instead at making it more easily accessible to the public.

The move comes amid calls for a value-for-money investigation at the unit, which incurred costs of €600,000 last year, according to figures received by Southside People under the Freedom of Information Act.

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The Labour Party's spokeswoman on health, Liz McManus, said Minister for Health Mary Harney should examine the issue, given each unit of blood collected at the clinic last year cost the IBTS €150.

"Blood is collected without payment and to think it would cost that much is incredible. I will table a parliamentary question to the Minister to find out why these costs have been incurred."

The Stillorgan clinic runs on a part-time basis and is appointment-driven, with donors invited to phone or e-mail to make an appointment.

The IBTS spokesman said it was examining the possibility of walk-in appointments to increase donations. "By getting more donors in it would reduce the cost per person," he said.

The IBTS procured almost 150,000 donations in the State in 2003, including 16,500 at its Limerick clinic and 30,000 in Carlow.