VICTIMS OF the hepatitis C blood contamination scandal are concerned at plans by the Health Service Executive to conduct a fresh assessment of their needs, including a review of whether or not they need home help.
A range of benefits has been provided to victims since 1996, including medical cards, but those who were infected could also get funding from the HSE for home help if their GP or consultant provided them with a letter saying they required help cleaning their house for example because they were too exhausted as a result of their illness to do it themselves.
The HSE wrote earlier this month to those who were infected saying it plans to conduct needs assessments to ensure all are getting the most appropriate services they require. It says its aim is to improve services but some of those who received the correspondence are worried it could result in services being cut.
A fact sheet accompanying the letters states patients will only be able to continue to nominate a home support worker of their choosing, "if that is deemed appropriate following the needs assessment".
A letter writer to today's Irish Times asks if the Government - which includes some members of the rainbow coalition which handled the hepatitis C scandal very badly - will allow the HSE inflict additional and unnecessary suffering on those who were infected "for the sake of saving a few bob".
Detta Warnock of Positive Action, a support group representing more than 700 women who contracted hepatitis C from the anti-D blood product, said many women never even told their children of their infection and were concerned the needs assessment could result in others finding out about it. In rural areas, for example, the public health nurse could be a neighbour or sister-in-law, she said.
She added that up to now they were able to pay for home help without anyone knowing they were engaging it because they had hepatitis C. Members were concerned their choice of home support would be taken away.
The HSE said there are approximately 1,500 people availing of services under the terms of the Health Amendment Act, which made provisions for those who got contaminated blood. These figures include people who got infections from transfusions and haemophiliacs who received contaminated blood products.
The scheme costs €25 million a year and the HSE said approximately €8.5 million of this relates to home support services for 620 patients.
It said some of the recipients of this help hadn't had their situation or needs reviewed for many years "and may require more support than they are currently receiving" and therefore needs assessments were planned.
It also said clinicians involved in the care of victims "fully support the introduction of a health and social care needs assessment in order to ensure a managed care approach and high-quality service to this group of patients both now and into the future".
Some patient representative groups had also indicated their support, it added.