IBTS launches 2003 Annual Report

5.8% decrease in donations over 2002

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service launched its 2003 Annual Report today (Wednesday) at the National Blood Centre, Dublin. Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Andrew Kelly said that the priority of the IBTS was the continuous supply of safe blood and blood products to patients in Irish hospitals. "While the number of donations collected dropped by 5.8% in 2003, we succeeded, through proactive management of a limited resource to meet hospital demand. In fact, there was a slight increase in the number of red cells issued of just under 2% last year.

"Demand continues to increase and already in the first 6 months of this year, there has been a 6% increase in the amount of blood issued to hospitals. The recent introduction of new restrictions in light of the vCJD risk will take approximately 5% of our current donors out of the donor pool. While the effect of these new restrictions will take some time to quantify, the restrictions increase the pressure on the blood supply, requiring new and innovative initiatives from us to provide for patients' needs.

National Medical Director, Doctor William Murphy added: "Providing a safe supply of blood and blood components does not get easier". in 2003 the IBTS introduced new restrictions to prevent a new disease endemic in the USA, West Nile Virus, being spread through blood transfusion in Ireland. We also learned in 2003 that vCJD had been passed from one individual to another in the UK by a transfusion for the first time.

"We have learned over the past twenty years that blood transfusion is exposed to a constant threat of contamination with new diseases from around the globe - we rely on a number of strategies to deal with this threat, including testing and decontamination of blood donations and blood products."

"However none of these is more important than a culture of altruistic and generous commitment to donation of blood in the community. Voluntary donors provide for a safer and better blood transfusion service, and a strong community commitment to blood donation is a vital element in allowing new measures to be put in place that restrict the threat of disease transmission."

ENDS