Hepatitis C scandal - Apology can never heal the pain

The apology tendered by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) to 33 donors was politely acknowledged, rather than welcomed, by two support groups yesterday.

It was an appropriate response to an apology which came about 10 years late after the IBTS had grievously ill-served the donors who tested positive for hepatitis C, but were not informed for years of their condition.

It is interesting to note, too, that the apology eventually issued after the representative groups, Transfusion Positive and Positive Action, had sought it during a meeting with the IBTS.