HC Deb 11 November 1997 vol 300 cc705-6
18. Dr. Harris

If he will publish performance indicators for all regions of the national blood transfusion service. [13827]

Mr. Dobson

A range of performance indicators for the national blood service's operations are being developed. Some of them should be published later this month. I want to ensure that any indicators of performance make sense and are acceptable to the clinicians who receive the services from the national blood transfusion service. I am not wildly impressed by the senior management of that outfit.

Dr. Harris

Given the recently announced £3.5 million cost of redundancies in the national blood transfusion service since 1 April 1995 and that the interim Cash report on the move of services from Liverpool to Manchester stated that the national blood authority's plans were not proven and that it was too late to reconsider them, may I ask why the Secretary of State announced the setting up of the review only in August, given that it was an issue that the Labour party had campaigned on hard and effectively while in opposition and given also that the Labour Government prided themselves on hitting the ground reviewing in May?

Mr. Dobson

On getting into office, I immediately asked for reports on the state of the proposals for the transfer from Liverpool to Manchester of bulk processing of blood. Had I been in a position to take the initial decision, I would never have agreed to the transfer. I asked Professor Cash, the president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the former head of the Scottish blood transfusion service, to advise me. His advice was, reluctantly, that the Liverpool service was so run down that, in the interests of the safety and security of blood supplies, it was, sadly, necessary to go ahead with the transfer.

I expect Professor Cash to report to me shortly on the future of blood services in the north-west as a whole. On the basis of the reports which he has submitted to me, I expect that his views will have an impact on the provision of blood services throughout the country. That is one of the reasons why I am not very happy with the way in which the blood service has been run over the past few years.

Mr. Bermingham

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the mistake having been made—we all know that it was made in the transfer—steps should now be taken to review the north-west and the supply within it so that there might be adequate services in that area? Will he give me an undertaking that such a review will take place? I know that this appalling mistake is not my right hon. Friend's but his predecessor's, but will steps be taken to rectify it in due course?

Mr. Dobson

I have asked Professor Cash to produce a report that contains proposals on how best to secure the interests of the people of Merseyside and the needs of clinicians working in the area who are trying to provide top-quality treatment and care, and then to put in place machinery to make that possible.

I return to the basic point: that the blood service must be adequate and safe for the people of Merseyside and for people in every other part of the country. People throughout the United Kingdom should have sufficient confidence in the service to ensure that they are willing to continue as blood donors. I urge people to do so, because blood is always desperately needed and good use is made of it.