14th February 2003 - Board Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service held on Friday 14th February, 2003 at 11.00am
Boardroom, National Blood Centre, Jamess Street, Dublin 8
Present: Mr Michael McLoone (Chairman)
Mr Tony McNamara
Dr Mary Horgan
Dr Ann OConnor
Dr Liz Keane
Dr Gerry Crotty
Dr Cees Van der Poel
Ms Valerie Mannix
Dr Karen Murphy
Dr Helen Enright
Mr Pat Farrell
Apologies: Ms Maura McGrath
In Attendance: Mr Andrew Kelly (A/CEO)
Dr William Murphy (NMD)
Mr Michael Healy (SEO)
1. Minutes of Meeting 08.01.2003
The Minutes of the Board meeting held on Wednesday January 8th 2003, were adopted on the proposal of Dr M Horgan, seconded by Dr A OConnor and signed by the Chairman, subject to agreed amendments.
2. Matters Arising
Mr M. Healy explained that the CEO, as an officer of the Board, was precluded from being an ex-officio member of the Board.
3. Correspondence
Ms Anne Small
The Chairman on behalf of the Board recorded his deep sympathy to the family of Ms Anne Small on her recent death. He noted that Anne was a most kind and conscientious person who gave great commitment to the staff of the IBTS.
Southern Health Board (SHB)
The Board noted the correspondence from Mr Batt OKeeffe, Chairman, Southern Health Board. The Board also noted that the Chairman and Acting CEO would meet the Chairman and CEO of the SHB to update them on the formal decisions taken by the Board at todays meeting and its recommendations to the Minister, with regard to the Review by the International Panel of the decision to centralise testing.
4. CEOs Report
This was noted.
Progesa
Mr A. Kelly updated the Board on the implementation of Progesa. He noted that a number of industrial relations issues had come to light in recent weeks. It was felt that the implementation of the Progesa system was being used as a lever in pay negotiations. The Board noted the pay claims being submitted. In light of the recent report of the Panel of Experts on Testing, the Board agreed that it was crucial that Progesa be implemented, having regard to the quality and safety of the blood supply.
A copy of the December 2002 Report of the C&AG, on the Financial Control and Management of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, was distributed to Board members. It was noted that the Report was critical at the lack of implementation of the Progesa system. It was also noted that the IMB would be monitoring the implementation of Progesa and if the date is not met, that the IMB Board would decide on what action to take.
Mr Kelly informed the Board that he had informed staff at the Cork Centre that the go-live date would not be extended. He agreed, as a matter of urgency, to consult with union officials to convey the feelings of the Board on the matter.
Staff Internal Auditor, HR Director
The Board acknowledged the work of the Internal Auditor, Ms P McDonald who had recently resigned from the IBTS to take up a new position.
Mr Kelly noted that a number of applications for the HR Director position had been received through the www.publicjobs.ie website and also through a number of recruitment agencies. He felt that it was important to progress this appointment as soon as possible.
Pension Scheme
Ms V Mannix proposed that Dr A OConnor be appointed as a trustee of the Pension Scheme. This was seconded by Dr M Horgan and approved by the Board. It was agreed that the employer contribution to the pension fund would be increased effective from 01.05.03. The Board also noted that 3.5 million was lodged to the pension fund in December 2002 out of the surplus funds of the IBTS for the year ended 31.12.02.
5. Report of Financial and Other Implications of the Report of the International Panel on Single Site Testing
Recommendation No. 1
Mr A. Kelly briefed the Board on the report and the assumptions used as the basis for the financial figures, in relation to Recommendation No. 1. He advised the Board that the figure for Capital Investment in Buildings for Virological Testing in Dublin and Cork should be revised. The recommendation to maintain dual site testing was unanimously approved by the Board.
Recommendation No. 2
The Board agreed that there should be an agreed management structure in each centre with authority to manage the operational work in the centre. The Board also agreed that the national headquarters should not be involved in the operational management of any one of the centres. However, it was decided that the national headquarters would remain at its present location. It was decided that the management structures would be revised to allow the headquarters focus on developing an integrated high quality national blood system with each centre focused on the management of operations in their respective centre. It was understood that the acting CEO would bring proposals to Board in the coming months with regard to revised structures that would take cognisance of this recommendation.
Recommendation No. 3
The Board agreed that the views of the Management in the Dublin and Cork Centres should be represented and considered in decision-making at Senior Management level. However, it was agreed that participation in the governance of the IBTS is more appropriate to the Board of the IBTS and the Minister DOH&C.
Recommendation No. 4
The appointment of the International Expert on the Board was a welcome addition to the Board membership and was the result of the implementation of this recommendation. It was understood that greater geographical representation on the Board was a matter for the Minister DOH&C.
Recommendation No. 5
It was noted that Cork University Hospital is the preferred option for locating the new Cork Centre and that the design brief should be developed to the same standard as the Dublin Centre.
Recommendation No. 6
It was agreed that operational standards be kept under systematic review to ensure that they comply with GMP and with the new Blood Directive adopted by the EU. It was also noted that the EU Blood Directive would need to be implemented before the end of February 2005.
Recommendation No. 7
It was agreed that the implementation of the Progesa computer system should proceed as scheduled and should go live in Cork mid-March.
Recommendation No. 8
The Board fully agreed with the recommendation that the IBTS nurture research and development programmes at both centres.
Recommendation No. 9
The Board endorsed this recommendation and noted that countries in the EU have different approaches to specialist training in transfusion medicine. The Board agreed that the European approach should be reviewed in detail.
Recommendation No. 10
The Board acknowledged that the National Quality Assurance Manager and the QA team responded item by item to the recommendations and findings of the Inspection Reports of the IMB. The Board requested the CEO to include in his monthly progress report, a status report on plans to implement the corrective actions recommended in inspection reports by the relevant inspecting authorities.
Recommendation No. 11
The Board approved arrangements to be used in its recently developed financial and management control systems to allow scientifically based cost efficacy bench-marking of the IBTS.
It was agreed that the revised report of financial and other implications of the Experts Report should be attached to the letter which would be sent to the Minister DOH&C on the matter.
It was also agreed that the draft Revised Report would be emailed to Board members.
6. Donor Study Update
7. Organisational Development and Change
The Chairman outlined the 3 parallel processes involved.
1. Consultation with staff and departments by the A/CEO, facilitated by HRS Consulting, to identify options and refine proposals regarding a revised management structure.
2. Consultation with the medical consultants of the IBTS.
The Chairman noted that these three processes had now to be set in the context of the recommendations of the International Expert Group in relation to the management structure for each centre and headquarters. A report on the proposed new structures will be brought to the Board by the A/CEO within three months (approximately). Dr Van der Poel suggested that the new structure should incorporate proposals in regard to R&D work and noted that funding in the Netherlands for research and development was 2.5% of turnover.
8. Code of Practice for Governance of State Bodies
The Board approved the Internal Audit Charter and Internal Audit Code of Ethics on the proposal of Dr Mary Horgan and seconded by Dr Liz Keane. It was agreed that a seminar / workshop on the code would be given within the next three months.
9. Product Selection and Monitoring Group
Mr Kelly briefed the Board on the group and informed the Board that the terms of reference were being discussed by the group at present and had not as yet been finalised. The Board agreed with the proposal that the IBTS would remain the contract holder for products for the treatment of persons with haemophilia. The Board also agreed that the IBTS role of contract holder would be clear and that nothing should impair the IBTS from carrying out its legal obligations. Mr A. Kelly agreed to keep the Board appraised of any developments on this issue.
10. Minutes of MAC Meeting September 18, 2002
These were noted. Mr Kelly said that the cost of the proposed study, Risk assessment of Irish populations indigenous exposure to BSE in comparison to UK risk, is being funded by the IBTS but that this might be reimbursed by the Department of Health and Children.
11. Minutes of Finance Committee December 4, 2002
The Minutes were noted.
12. Internal Communications Strategy
Ms M. ODonovan, Communications Officer, gave a presentation to the Board. It was agreed that her presentation and notes should be circulated to Board members.
It was noted that the primary objective of the internal communications strategy was to ensure that there was appropriate forum for staff input, feedback and participation.
After some discussion and a question and answer period, the Chairman thanked Ms ODonovan for her presentation.
13. Date of Next Meeting
It was agreed that the next Meeting of the Board of the IBTS would take place on March 12, 2003 at 2.00pm at the National Blood Centre.
