IHS slams BTS over blood scandal

The Irish Haemophiliac Society has slammed the conduct of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in its closing submission to the Lindsay Tribunal.

The IHS said the BTS showed no interest in confronting the problem when it emerged that Irish haemophiliacs were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C.

It also outlined how the minutes of a BTS board meeting in 1986 were doctored to conceal how the service had knowingly used contaminated blood products to treat Irish haemophiliacs.

The IHS added that the BTS has been rotten to the core in its evidence to the Lindsay Tribunal and also said the Department of Health must share in the blame.