Department denies vendetta in hep C row

A BITTER war of words erupted yesterday between the Government and the Blood Bank over the handling of the State’s blood supply.

The Department of Health rejected allegations that its officials had a vendetta against Dr Joan Power, the woman who helped uncover the hepatitis C scandal.

The row marks a further deterioration in the already strained relations between the two bodies at a time when the Blood Bank is struggling to get enough donations to meet patients’ needs.