North: Haemophiliacs 'may have been given suspect blood product'

A haemophilia centre in the North has revealed that a "very small number" of haemophiliacs may have been given blood products from a donor who developed variant CJD, the human form of BSE.

Dr Ken Fullerton, the medical director of the centre, said the donor gave blood twice in Scotland in 1987 and developed vCJD two years ago.

Haemophiliacs in Scotland and the North have since been informed by post that they may have been treated with a blood product from a suspect batch.

Dr Fullerton said all of his patients who were given clotting factor from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service between 1987 and 1989 have been contacted and advised of the situation.

There is no diagnostic test for vCJD, which has already killed 117 people in the UK.