ITBS apologises to donors over Hep C results

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (ITBS) has apologised to 34 blood donors who were not told for several years they had tested positive to Hepatitis C.

The 34 people had donated blood between 1991 and 1993 but were not informed they had tested positive for the Hepatitis virus until 1994.

The donors claim they could have been treated earlier if they had been told of their positive tests when the blood board personnel first became aware of this.

In a statement published today, the ITBS said it wished to apologise to the donors and to their families for the delay on the part of the service in notifying them of their Hepatitis C test results.

It said: "The Irish Blood Transfusion Service fully acknowledges the pain and suffering of the donors and their families as a consequence of not informing donors of such results as soon as they became available and for this the Board is deeply sorry."

The ITBS said it hoped the apology would help bring closure to this particular issue for the donors concerned and their families.

Blood support group Positive Action today acknowledged the blood service's apology saying it was "aware of the extensive pain and suffering that the delay of this notification has caused to our members and their families".

It also welcomed a report - commissioned by the IBTS - into the matter which it said "clearly traces the chain of events which lead to this late notification".

The report by professor Bernhard Kubanek was presented to the Board in March.

The fact that some patients had not been informed that they had tested positive for hepatitis C first emerged at the official tribunal of inquiry into the contamination of blood products in 1997.