The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has suspended taking blood donations from any women who have donated blood over the last 18 months.

The decision was taken after the IBTS discovered that a new device it had introduced in July 2014 to check haemoglobin levels in donors, gives inaccurate results in relation to some people with anaemia.

In other words, the device was failing to identify all donors, particularly female donors, with iron-deficiency anaemia.

"As a result of the issue which has now been detected with this new device, some women, and probably a much smaller number of men, could have been rendered iron deficient and anaemic from blood donation in the past 18 months," explained IBTS medical and scientific director, Dr William Murphy.

Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition in which there is a lack of iron in the body and this leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells. Red blood cells help store and carry oxygen in the blood. Symptoms include shortness of breath, lethargy and a pale complexion.

Dr Murphy said that from last week, the IBTS introduced a full blood count on all female donors, a process which is being extended to male donors this week.

"Approximately 20 donors with anaemia who were not detected by the new device, prior to a unit of blood being taken last week, have all been contacted. For the time being we are suspending taking blood donations from women who have already donated in the last 18 months," Dr Murphy noted.

He also said that the current version of the non-invasive device will be replaced ‘as soon as possible', and that the Health Products Regularity Authority has been contacted in relation to this. The device is also in use in Austria and some blood donation clinics in Germany.

"Over the next few weeks we will introduce new software to reanalyse all the electronic results from all donors who have been tested and accepted for donation since we introduced this device. Any discrepant results will be notified to the donors involved.

"In the meantime we will ask any concerned donors who contact us to attend their GP if they are worried that they might be anaemic or iron deficient. We will meet the cost of attending their doctor and iron studies," Dr Murphy said.

He emphasised that this is a temporary measure while this issue is resolved. However until it is resolved, he called on male donors ‘to make an extra effort to donate and maintain the blood supply'.

"We are confident that this issue with our new haemoglobin level measurement device has not had any impact on blood received by patients. We are determined to have this matter resolved as soon as possible," Dr Murphy added.

Concerned donors can contact the IBTS at 1850 73 11 37.

Responding to the news, the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said he had been informed of the problem and is ‘assured that the IBTS has put in place appropriate precautionary, safety, contingency and communication measures to deal with the issue'.

"I am being briefed on the issue on an ongoing basis and will monitor it closely," he added.