Women who initially tested positive and then negative for hepatitis C will be contacted shortly by the Department of Health through their GPs for a review of their situation. The Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, stressed such recipients could be reassured that "all the indications are that they are not currently infected with hepatitis C". He was responding during health questions to Fine Gael's health spokesman, Mr Alan Shatter, who asked if there were proposals to recall these women for further testing.

In 1994 a screening programme for women who received anti-D immunoglobulin found 165 women who first tested positive and then negative in confirmatory tests. It had been confirmed, the Minister added, that 18 of the 165 recipients did not receive infected or potentially infected anti-D. Mr Cowen said the initial positive reaction probably reflected a false positive reaction and such reactions were not uncommon in the general population. "The overall experience is that such individuals do not have active liver disease, and it is unlikely that any further intervention such as liver biopsy will be required."

The Minister referred to the expert group he set up after the report into the hepatitis C controversy. The group "has decided that where such recipients have been identified as having received an infected or potentially infected anti-D batch, they should be offered referral to one of the six designated hepatology units". Consultants in the units would review the patient's clinical status and conduct any further testing considered necessary. Mr Cowen told Mr Shatter the expert group's "primary concern is to continue to ensure maximum care for the anti-D recipients concerned".