8th May 2002 - Board Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service held on Wednesday 8th May, 2002 at 2.00pm
Board Room, National Blood Centre, Jamess Street, Dublin 8
Present: Mr Michael McLoone (Chairman)
Ms Valerie Mannix
Mr Tony McNamara
Dr Ann OConnor
Dr Liz Keane
Dr Gerry Crotty
Dr Mary Horgan
Dr Helen Enright
Apologies: Mr Pat Farrell
Ms Maura McGrath
Dr Karen Murphy
In Attendance: Mr Martin Hynes (CEO)
Dr William Murphy (NMD)
Mr Michael Healy (SEO)
Minutes of Meeting 10.04.2002
The Minutes of the Board meeting held on Wednesday 10th April 2002 were adopted on the proposal of Dr M Horgan, seconded by Ms V Mannix and signed by the Chairman, subject to agreed amendments.
Response to issues raised by Tribunal
The CEO outlined a number of key issues arising from the Lindsay Tribunal and previous reports on the Blood Transfusion Service. He drew particular attention to the need for the mandate of the IBTS to be explicit and suggested that this might best be done by way of primary legislation. These issues will be revisited, as necessary, when the report is published.
Organisation Development Programme
The CEO briefed the Board on the progress to date of the OD Programme. He noted that the focus groups will be coming together on May 16th and that the planned bi-lateral meetings will be taking place over the next three weeks. The Chairman reported on the meeting of the Board Sub Committee with the Change Group. He also briefed the meeting on the bi-lateral meetings between senior management and medical staff which were scheduled over the next few weeks and which he had offered to facilitate. He was happy to report that progress is being made and that further progress is expected in the next four to eight weeks.
Review of Testing
It was noted that points of clarification had arisen in respect of the terms of reference in communication with the Chairman of the Review Group. The Chairman agreed to write to Professor Zuck on behalf of the Board clarifying the terms of reference as agreed with the Southern Health Board and confirming that the IBTS requires the report to address the issues specific to the terms of reference solely. The Board will give whatever assistance is required in terms of the review of testing. A draft reply from the Chairman was circulated at the meeting and approved.
The Board requested the Chairman, CEO and NMD to agree a final date for the issuing of the Review Group Report. It was noted that the three members of the Expert panel would be meeting with the IBTS and SHB on May 19th and that further meetings were planned for May 20th, 21st and 22nd in both Dublin and Cork.
CEOs Report
This was noted.
Report on Superannuation Fund April 2001
Ms V Mannix recommended that each Board member would read the Annual Report of the Superannuation Fund for the year ended 30th April 2001. The Chairman acknowledged the work of Ms V Mannix and the other trustees of the Superannuation Scheme and thanked them for the recent presentation by the pensions expert on the proposed changes to the fund. The Chairman noted that the proposed changes will have implications for the Board going forward, in order to maintain the current contributions and benefits and these will be presented to the Board at a meeting in the near future.
7. Proposal to Establish a Repository of Donors
The NMD gave a report on his paper "Future testing for vCJD: Requirement for an anonymised repository of donor samples". It was agreed that the Board would refer this paper to the Medical Advisory Committee and the Boards legal advisors, so as to determine the feasibility of such proposals. It was also agreed that, before it was brought back to the Board, the costs involved would be examined.
Minutes of Finance Committee 3rd April 2002
Mr. T McNamara briefed the Board on the Finance Committee minutes 3/4/2002.
It was noted that the proposal by the Director of Finance for the setting up of an audit committee, would be part of the overall review of committees currently in progress. It was also noted that the C&AG did not wish to sit on this committee but were happy to attend certain meetings when requested to do so.
Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 1999
The financial statements for the year 31.12.1999 were approved by the Board and signed by the Chairman and Mr T McNamara.
Minutes of Medical Advisory Committee 13th March 2002
Dr. Horgan presented a summary of the minutes of the MAC meeting of 13th March 2002. The report was noted. Reports and recommendations on a number of issues referred to in the minutes will be coming through at future meetings. A proposal regarding the establishment of an Ethics Committee and a Clinical Advisory Committee for the Bone Marrow Registry will be brought to the July Board Meeting.
It was confirmed that there was no new scientific evidence in relation to vCJD.
It was clarified that the recall of plasma based Factor VIII products referred to in the minutes, was an initiative which is being undertaken by St. Jamess Hospital.
Outcome of meeting with IBTS unions and agreed outcomes
The Chairman informed the Board that he had, together with the HR Manager and CEO, met with representatives of a number of the unions in the IBTS recently. He noted that a number of outcomes from the meeting had been agreed.
That outstanding issues would be resolved as a matter of priority.
That the IBTS was committed to partnership.
That there would be ongoing consultation with the unions with regard to the outcome of the OD Programme.
As part of the OD Programme, focus groups would be set up to elicit responses from a cross section of staff regarding the interaction of the various functions in the IBTS and the ability of the IBTS to implement the re-organisation plan.
That the management, and not the consultants, will lead the organisational change.
Date of next meeting
It was agreed that the next meeting of the IBTS Board would take place in the NBC on Wednesday June 12th 2002 at 2pm.
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Signed Date
Next Board Meeting to be held at 2.00pm on Wednesday 12th June 2002 at the National Blood Centre.
