Blood bank chief facing charges over hepatitis C scandal dies

A FORMER blood bank official who was facing criminal charges relating to the blood transfusion scandal has died.

Dr Terry Walsh, who was chief medical consultant of the Blood Transfusion Service Board, now known as the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, had started High Court proceedings in December 2003 to stop his trial in relation to the infection of seven women with hepatitis C through a contaminated blood product between 1977 and 1992.

Dr Walsh claimed there had been prosecutorial delay in the case, that he was prejudiced in that many potential witnesses had died since the time of the alleged offences and that he had experienced ill-health.