It has been revealed that the Blood Transfusion Service did not contact haemophiliacs who tested positive for HIV, even though it had "powerful evidence" that blood product made by Pelican House was responsible. The disclosure was made at the Lindsay Tribunal, which is examining the infection of seven haemophiliacs from Blood Transfusion Service factor-clotting agent in 1985 and 1986. Five of the haemophiliacs have died. Dr Terry Walsh, BTS consultant haematologist, said that informing the haemophiliacs would have been the responsibility of the treating doctors. However, he agreed with Gerry Durkan, SC for the Tribunal, that BTS did not appear to contact treating doctors to ensure this was done. He also agreed that the documents suggested that the National Drugs Advisory Board was not advised either.
The Tribunal heard how the first haemophiliac who used Factor 9 tested positive in November 1985. The blood product responsible had not been heat-tested to inactivate viruses. It has already been established that Pelican House did not recall all of its non-heat-treated factor 9 product until the June 25 1986. One patient tested negative for HIV in March 1986, but tested positive in August of that year, strongly suggesting they were infected in 1986 by Pelican House-made product.
