12th March 2003 - Board Minutes
Minutes of the Board Meeting on 12th March, 2003
Present:
Mr. Michael McLoone (Chairman)
Mr. Tony McNamara
Dr. Mary Horgan
Dr. Anne OConnor
Dr. Gerry Crotty
Ms. Valerie Mannix
Dr. Karen Murphy
Dr. Helen Enright
Apologies:
Dr. Liz Keane
Dr. Cees Van Der Poel
Mr. Pat Farrell
Ms. Maura McGrath
In Attendance:
Mr. Andrew Kelly (A/CEO)
Dr. William Murphy (NMD)
Mr. Michael Healy (SEO)
1. Minutes of Meeting 14.02.2003
The Minutes of the Board meeting held on Friday 14th February 2003, were adopted on the proposal of Dr A.OConnor, seconded by Dr K. Murphy and signed by the Chairman.
2. Matters Arising
3. Filling of CEO Post
The Chairman briefed the Board on the number of applicants for the post and the arrangements by Deloitte & Touche for shortlisting. A shortlist of candidates will be interviewed before March 28th and from this process a number will be recommended for final interview. The Board agreed the composition of the selection panel and have targeted a number of dates before the end of April for interviews, subject to the availability of members of the panel.
4. Correspondence
Letter from Professor McCann Irish Haematology Society.
The correspondence from the Irish Haematology Society requesting a meeting was noted. It was agreed that the A/CEO and NMD would meet with representatives from the IHS to discuss the issues raised. It was suggested that Prof. McCann, President, Irish Haematology Society be sent a copy of the draft Heads of Bills for the Committees of Investigations legislation 2003, for his perusal before the meeting.
Southern Health Board Correspondence re Meeting on Expert Panel Report
The Chairman reported on the meeting he and the A/CEO had with the Chairman, Deputy Chairperson and CEO of the SHB on Tuesday 11th March. The Chairman of the SHB expressed appreciation to the Chairman and members of the IBTS Board, for accepting the recommendation on donation testing and to the efforts being made to resolve the difficulties between Dublin and Cork. It was noted that the Board of the SHB had also written to the Minister requesting funding for the new centre in Cork. The SHB suggested that NAT testing might be temporarily located on the site of St. Finbarrs Hospital as an interim measure, before being permanently placed in the new centre at CUH. It was agreed that the Board of the IBTS would consider any information provided by the SHB, regarding the provision of a NAT Laboratory in Cork, in deciding whether NAT should be carried out on the present site.
DOH&C Correspondence re Recommendations of the International Expert Group
The Department of Health & Children acknowledged receipt of the Report by the IBTS Board on the Recommendations of the International Expert Group.
5. EU Directive
The NMD briefed the Board on his summary of the EU Directive on blood transfusion. Dr. Murphy noted that the IBTS in future may not make significant changes to its operations without prior approval from the competent Licencing Authority, the IMB.
The transportation of blood in future must be carried out by an approved agency. The IBTS at present transports blood by various means including bus, train and taxi.
The EU Directive is designed to provide uniformity in the blood transfusion services within the EU. The Commission will define the quality system that will operate in transfusion services, taking into account GMP and ISO. Governments must introduce national legislation to give effect to the terms of the Directive by 15th February 2005.
Technical notes attaching to the Directive may have future implications for the IBTS. It was noted that the Directive does not include blood banks in hospitals in the definition of blood establishments. The A/CEO will be setting up a meeting with the DOH&C and the IMB to examine the full implications of the Directive for the blood transfusion service in Ireland. It was agreed that a paper would be brought to the Board after this meeting to outline the implications of the Directive and to clarify such issues as the respective responsibilities of the IBTS and its suppliers and customers.
It was agreed that the Board should be updated on a regular basis on the matter.
6. Report to Minister on Testing
The finalised report on testing has been sent to the Department and it was agreed that the matter should be a standing item on the CEO report.
7. CEOs Report
The report was noted.
There will be a donor award ceremony for 50-time donors in Carlow on April 27 2003.
The lease for the new Stillorgan centre has been signed.
The ruling in the Asbestos case in the Supreme Court was noted by the Board.
The A/CEO briefed the Board on a settlement in the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal.
The Bone Marrow Registry has been computerised and went live this morning, March 12th 2003.
The IBTS has been invited to attend the Public Accounts Committee hearings on April 2nd 2003.
The Establishment Order and the draft Terms of Reference for the National Haemophilia Council have been received.
8. Design Brief for Cork Centre
The Design Brief for the new Cork centre was presented to the Board and was approved. The Brief will be forwarded to the Buildings Section of the DOH&C, for consideration and approval.
The Board acknowledged the work of Mr. John Keating, Mr. Andy Kelly and the staff of the Cork Centre in bringing the Brief together for presentation to the Board. The Board unanimously approved the recommendation that the Munster Regional Transfusion Centre be located on the Campus of Cork University Hospital. The Board also noted that the sites at St. Finbarrs Hospital and St. Marys Orthopaedic Hospital were also available, if insurmountable problems were encountered with the site at CUH.
It was noted that the donor clinic might have to be located away from the centre. It was agreed that the design group would revert to the Board on the matter. It was also agreed that the Board should be given a report on the various stages involved in developing the Cork centre.
9. Donor Study Update
It was noted that the Minister for Health and Children would be proposing Committees of Investigations legislation to the Oireachtas, in the Summer of 2003. Draft Heads of Bill were distributed to the Board. Under the proposed legislation it was noted that the donor study could be chaired by, or have the involvement of, Senior Counsel. A Committee of Investigation may be considered by the Minister and the Department of Health and Children to be a more appropriate mechanism to deal with the donor notification issue, rather than a Tribunal of Inquiry. The Board has already offered the view that a Judicial Committee would be independent and efficient.
The Board was provided with an executive summary of Dr. Emer Lawlors Report on Hepatitis C positive women exposed to Anti D outside the years 1977/79 and 1991/94. Dr. Lawlors report will be sent to the DOH&C. It was agreed that Dr. E Lawlor would be invited to give a presentation on her report to the Board at the April 9th 2003 Board meeting.
10. Organisation Development & Change
1. Consultation on revised Management Structure:
A meeting has been arranged for March 20th to progress this issue and to obtain a broad spectrum of views within the IBTS in regard to the implications of the Boards decision on the International Panel Report for restructuring the organisation and management of the IBTS. Discussions have already taken place in the Cork centre with the Heads of Department.
2. IBTS Medical Department
The facilitation process with regard to the medical consultants is ongoing. It was felt important that a mechanism for obtaining objective feedback, which is not personalised, is obtained from the consultant medical staff and members of the MAC. It was suggested that Dr. Mary Horgan would discuss with the facilitator how this should be done.
3. Structures
It was suggested that management structures in operation in the UK and other European blood services should be examined in the context of formulating proposals to change the structure in the IBTS. It was agreed that a sub-committee of the Board should be formed to undertake this work.
11. Minutes of MAC Meeting 08.01.2003
A recent study of donors found that 11% had visited the U.S.A. It was agreed that the proposed 6 week WNV deferral for donors who have recently visited the U.S.A. should be postponed. The matter is to be discussed by the National Consultants Group who will bring a proposal to the MAC at the April 9th 2003 meeting.
The workshop on vCJD will take place on March 28th in the NBC.
12. Minutes of Finance Committee 4.02.2003
The Finance Committee approved in principle the upgrading of the Finance Computer System. The estimate for the cost of the upgrade is . It was also noted that the Software Licence Agreement had a 5 Year guarantee period.
13. Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of the IBTS will take place on Wednesday April 9th 2003 at 2.00pm in the National Blood Centre.
14. A.O.B.
E.B.A. Meeting Dublin
The Chairman thanked the NMD and his staff for the work and preparation for the recent EBA meeting in Dublin. He congratulated them on the efficient organisation of this prestigious event.
Pension Fund
Ms V Mannix informed the Board that she had been appointed to the Chair of the Pensions Committee on 27 February 2003 and that Dr Anne OConnor had been appointed as a Trustee. It was agreed that Mary Cahill would give a Presentation on the Pension Fund to the Board at the May 2003 Board Meeting.
Signed:
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.. Date:
