A FORMER blood bank employee complained to the tribunal chairman yesterday about the "implication" of a senior counsel's cross examination.
Mr John Cann, the BTSB chief technical officer until 1987, said he resented a question posed by Mr James Nugent SC, counsel for the tribunal, which suggested advice was given by the head of the BTSB not to import an alternative anti D product because it would compete with the product made at Pelican House.
The former national BTSB director, Dr Jack O'Riordan, had been asked by the National Drugs Advisory Board in the early 1970s for advice on an import licence for the foreign product.
Asked if it was his impression that Dr O'Riordan's advice was based on grounds of competition and not medical grounds, Mr Cann said: "There were very good sound medical reasons and I am afraid your implication is quite wrong and I object to it."
He said to the tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Thomas Finlay, that he was sorry, that he had strong feelings on the matter and that he resented the implication being made.
Before the exchanges, Mr Cann was questioned on the non licensed status of the Pelican House stances Act?" product. He said it had been clear that human immunoglobulin, which describes anti D, did not apply to the Therapeutic Substances Act 1932.
His statement to the tribunal, in which he said a 1955 amendment to the Act appeared to cover antiD was made in a hurry. He agreed he had now changed his mind.
Mr Nugent: "But in 1971/72, what was the position then in your mind about the Therapeutic Substance Act?"
Mr Cann: "That it did not apply to the substance we were preparing."
Mr Nugent: "And this was, following an examination of it by you and Dr O'Riordan?"
Mr Cann: "Yes."
Mr Nugent said other companies, one wishing to import antiD, had applied to the Department for licences. Mr Cann agreed he was aware that Dr O'Riordan's opinion was requested about the licensing of anti D import "under some Act".
Mr Nugent: "Was there any other act under which anti D might have been licensed if not the Therapeutic Substances Act?"
Mr Cann: "I could not answer that."