National Blood Authority

HC Deb 16 May 1995 vol 260 cc142-3

9. Mr. Illsley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last met the chairman of the National Blood Authority to discuss rationalisation proposals. [22859]

Mr. Sackville

Ministers meet the chairman of the National Blood Authority regularly.

Mr. Illsley

The Minister will be aware of the national blood transfusion service's continued difficulties consequent upon those rationalisation proposals, the latest of which is the purchase by the NBA of blood-testing kits which are regarded as inferior for HIV and hepatitis testing and are banned in many countries. In the past few months, the level of blood donations has decreased in this country, staff employed in the blood transfusion service have been completely demoralised, many skilled staff have left the service and, above all, there has been a complete loss of public confidence in that precious service. Will the Minister advise the chairman of the NBA to abandon the rationalisation proposals once and for all?

Mr. Sackville

I am aware of a continuing attempt by the hon. Gentleman to make his political name by undermining the blood service—[Interruption.] He has continually claimed that blood donations are down, when they are holding at the level of last year. Demand for blood has gone up by 4 per cent. and donations have gone up by 5 per cent. As he knows, the plans to rationalise the blood service are to do with that fact that it has always been run regionally, so there is too much processing and too much testing. We must reduce those overheads on the service.

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman

Does my hon. Friend agree that blood centres must be run for the benefit of the donors who give their blood freely and the teams who so devotedly serve them? Does he further agree that nothing whatever in the consultation document, or in anything that Sir Colin Walker has subsequently said, militates against that? Will he further emphasise his comment that the Opposition's political agitation is causing great dismay and is unnecessary?

Mr. Sackville

I confirm that, whatever happens, specialist services, such as the anti-D donors, are being retained in Lancaster. My hon. Friend is right: the allegations have been attempts to be undermine the confidence of donors, but they have failed.