Your Guide to Hepatitis C - Services

Services for people who contracted Hepatitis C through the administration of Blood or Blood products within Ireland.

About these Services

Hospital Services

Hepatitis C Liaison Officers

Information Booklet on Services available with a HAA Card

Support Groups

Useful Links

How do I know if I am eligible for these services?
If you contracted Hepatitis C from the administration within Ireland of blood or blood products and have a positive diagnostic test, you are entitled to a range of services including public in-patient and out-patient hospital services, GP services, all prescribed drugs, medicines and appliances, dental and ophthalmic services, home help, home nursing, counselling services and other services without charge. If you are eligible, the Hepatitis C Liaison Officer in your HSE area will arrange to issue you with a Health (Amendment) Act Card (HAA Card), which will make it easier for you to access these services.

A HAA Card is not the same as a Medical Card. The HAA Card is personal to the individual cardholder and does not cover family members (except in the case of access to counselling services). You should bring your card with you when availing of services.

Summary of Entitlements
Services outside the Hospital setting:

GP Services
Prescribed drugs, medicines, aids and appliances
Dental services
Ophthalmic services
Aural services
Home support services
Home nursing
Counselling services
A range of other services, such as chiropody/podiatry, and physiotherapy

Hospital Services
In-patient and out-patient specialist services in the Liver Units of the public hospitals listed below, plus other in-patient and out-patient services in public hospitals.

Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 Tel 01 809 3000
Mater Misercordiae University Hospital, Dublin 7 Tel 01 803 2048
St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8 Tel 01 410 3417
St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4 Tel 01 209 4248
Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin 12 Tel 01 428 2527
St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny Tel 056 778 5308
Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork Tel 021 492 0044
University College Hospital, Galway Tel 091 54 43 70

Further details are available from the Hepatitis C Booklet which can be sourced through your Liaison Officer

Hepatitis C Liaison Officers
In each of the HSE areas, there is a designated Hepatitis C Liaison Officer whose role is to ensure that persons who have contracted hepatitis C from the administration of blood and blood products within the state receives the primary care services they are entitled to under the terms of the 1996 Act.

There are also dedicated Clinical Nurse Specialists in each of the liver units of the eight designated hospitals whose role is to ensure that services are delivered in the hospital setting under the terms of the 1996 Act. An Information Guide to Services for those who are entitled to services and who hold a HAA card is available from the designated Hepatitis C Liaison Officer in your area and also from www.consultativecounilonhepc.ie which is the Consultative Council on Hepatitis C website. The Consultative Council on Hepatitis C is a statutory body set up by the Minister for Health to advise and make recommendations on all aspects of Hepatitis C in relation to those who were infected through administration within the State of blood and blood products. You will also find other useful information in relation to the HAA cardholders entitlements and some general information on the hepatitis C virus on the website.

Should you have any enquiries in relation to entitlements or otherwise, please contact the Hepatitis C Liaison Officer in your area as follows.

National Coordinator Hepatitis C Services: Michele Tait, HSE Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 Tel (01) 620 1712 email michele.tait@hse.ie

Hepatitis C Liaison Officers:

DublinNorth West/ Dublin North/ Dublin North Central and DublinNorth East ( Cavan, Louth , Meath & Monaghan )
Mr Larry Bathe, Primary Care Unit, railway Street, Navan, Co Meath Tel: (046) 9076451 larry.bathe@hse.ie

DublinSouth West/ Dublin West
Michele Tait, National Coordinator, Hep C Services, HSE Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 Tel (01) 6201712 / (01) 6201750 email michele.tait@hse.ie

DublinEast/Dun Laoghaire/Bray/Wicklow and DublinSouth/ Kildare & West Wicklow
Ms Michelle Hayes, Hepatitis C Liaison Officer, HSE Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 Tel: 01 6201840 Email: Michelle.hayes2@hse.ie

Laois, Longford, Offaly/Westmeath
Ms Elaine Barry, Primary Care Unit, Health Service Executive, St. Loman's, Springfield, Mullingar, Co Westmeath Tel (044) 938 4429 Email ElaineM.Barry@hse.ie

Clare/Limerick/Tipperary NorthClare/Limerick/Tipperary North
Ms Ellen Rush, HSE West, Tyone Health Centre, Tyone, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary Tel (067) 46449 Email ellen.rush@hse.ie

Leitrim/Sligo/Donegal
Mr Colin McCann, 1^st floor County Clinic, St Conal's Hospital, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Tel (074) 9104698 / 074 9109119 Email colin.mccann@hse.ie

Galway/Mayo/Roscommon
Mr. Richard Broderick, Health Service Executive, Western Area, Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Galway Tel (091) 775416 Email richard.broderick@hse.ie

Carlow/Kilkenny/Tipperary South/Waterford/Wexford
Ms Valerie McGrath, Health Service Executive, Community Care Services, James Green, Kilkenny Tel (056) 778 4101 Email Valerie.mcgrath@hse.ie

Cork/Kerry
Mr Donal Murphy, Primary Care Unit, Health Service Executive, 26/27 South Mall, Cork Tel (021) 492 1872 Email Donal.Murphy2@hse.ie

Information Booklet on Services available with a HAA Card
A comprehensive guide to the services available to you if you contracted Hepatitis C from the administration within the State of contaminated blood or blood products. Details on hospital services and how to access them are given in chapter 2 of this guide, while information on the community based services are given in chapter 3. General information in relation to the Consultative Council on Hepatitis C, Support Groups and publications of interest are given in chapter 4. Lists of healthcare professionals who provide services in your HSE area are included in the back of this guide.

Read or Download the HAA Card Information Booklet here

Further publications are available for download on the Consultative Council on Hepatitis C website: www.consultativecouncilonhepc.ie

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Support Groups
The four main patient support groups involved in providing support and assistance to those who were infected through administration within the State of blood and blood products are as follows. Each perform a vital role as advocates for their members and are represented on the Consultative Council on Hepatitis C as well as a number of HSE working groups/forums.

Positive Action
56 Fitzwilliam Square
Dublin 2
Tel 01 6762853
Positive Action provides support to those women ( and their families ) who contracted Hepatitis C through the administration of Anti-D, and also provide support to their families.

Transfusion Positive
3 Clanwilliam Square
Dublin 2
Tel 01 6398855
Transfusion Positive provides support to those men, women and children (and their families ) who contracted Hepatitis C through blood transfusions

Irish Haemophilia Society
1st Floor Cathedral Court
New Street
Dublin 8
Tel 01 6579900

The Irish Haemophilia Society provides support to people with haemophilia (and their families ) and also to those who have contracted hepatitis Cand HIV through contaminated products.

Irish Kidney Association
Donor House
Block 43A
Park West
Dublin 12
Tel 01 6205306
The Irish Kidney Association provides support to people with kidney problems who are either on dialysis or are organ recipients and have contracted hepatitis C.