§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the price per unit of supplies of blood and plasma to Health Care International; and on what date this price was set;
(2) if the price per unit of supplies of blood and plasma to private hospitals is the same for all; and how frequently the price per unit is reviewed;
(3) what is the current minimum cost at which blood and plasma can be supplied to private hospitals.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 10 March 1994]: The charges for the supply of blood or blood products made by the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service are the same to all private hospitals including Health Care International. The current charges were fixed in October 1993 to come into effect from 1 April 1994 and are reviewed annually. There is no minimum as the charges reflect actual costs and are as follows:
£ Whole Blood 64.00 Red Cell Concentrate 36.75 Specialised (Washed) RCC 66.75 Specialised (Filtered) RCC 61.75 Specialised (Frozen) RCC 166.75 Platelet Concentrate (random donation) 30.25 Platelet Concentrate (apheresis donation) 150.00 Fresh Frozen Plasma (220 ml) 29.50 Cryoprecipitate 27.50 Stable Plasma Protein Solution (4.5 per cent.) (18g) 30.00 There are a number of other blood products which are derived from blood donations. These are not usually required by private hospitals but if they were and there was a surplus to NHS needs, the price would be calculated on application.
§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what percentage of total blood supplies was supplied to private hospitals over the last five years;
(2) what percentage of total plasma supplies was supplied to private hospitals over the last five years;
(3) what are the projected levels of demand for blood and plasma from private hospitals over the next five years.
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§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 10 March 1994]: The information is as follows:
Percentage Year Total blood supplied Total plasma supplied 1988–89 0.97 0.42 1989–90 0.94 0.48 1990–91 0.90 0.53 1991–92 0.79 0.46 1992–93 0.89 0.57 No estimate of projected levels of demand from private hospitals has been made since the priority is to meet NHS demands and only surplus over-needs will be available to the private hospitals.
Blood Transfusion Region Number of registered donors Number of donations of blood from 1 April 1993 to January 1994 Number of issues of whole blood 1 March 1993 to 30 June 1993 North of Scotland 21,988 13,067 126 Aberdeen and North East of Scotland 35,762 23,243 294 East of Scotland 29,356 22,309 195 Edinburgh and South East Scotland 86,368 60,332 243 Glasgow and West of Scotland 219,264 116,212 15 Total 392,738 235,163 873 Note 1
The number of issues of blood to health bodies within Health Board areas is equal to their requirements. Regional Centres extract fresh blood components from donations and send the remaining plasma to the Protein Fractionation Centre for processing into blood products and which are then issued to hospital and other NHS users.
The Regional Centres are self sufficeint in whole blood and all fresh blood and plasma products. Blood plasma is not in short supply in any area in Scotland.
§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many units of blood and plasma are to be supplied annually by the Scottish blood transfusion service to Health Care International; and what percentages these amounts will form of total blood and plasma supplies;
(2) if there is an upper limit contained within the Transfusion Service's supply contract for the supply of blood to Health Care International;
(3) what are the projected levels of demand for blood and plasma from Health Care International over the next five years.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 10 March 1994]: Under the contract, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service will supply the undernoted maximum number of units of fresh blood components and plasma annually, subject to NHS needs in Scotland being met first. The contract will be kept under continuous review and the level of demand over the next five years placed on the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service will relate to availability of supplies.
Unit Quantity Red cell concentrate donation 5,000 Platelets—single donor procedure 600 —random donation x 5 100 Fresh frozen plasma donation 800 Cryoprecipitate donation 56 The SNBTS will also supply to Health Care International processed stable plasma protein solution made from plasma after other components have been
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§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was(a) the number of blood donors, (b) the quantity of blood donated and (c) the amount of blood required for each health board for each month since April 1993;
(2) in how many of the Scottish health board areas there is a surplus of donated blood; and in which areas blood plasma is in short supply.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 10 March 1994]: Monthly figures for the regional centres could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The available information is as follows:
removed and made into pharmaceutical products for use within the NHS. The maximum amount of SPPS to be supplied is as follows:
Unit Quantity SSPS (18 gram) 400 mls Up to a maximum of 4,000 units (if available) If the maximum units specified in the contract are supplied in response to clinical needs this will represent 2 per cent. of the total number of units supplied in Scotland.
§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the statutory safeguards which ensure blood and plasma supplies will only go to private hospitals if national health service needs are satisfied;
(2) if he will publish the supply contract for blood and plasma between the Scottish blood transfusion service and Health Care International;
(3) what powers the transfusion service has to recover supplies from Health Care International if faced with shortages of blood for the national health service in any part of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 10 March 1994]: My right hon. Friend has power under section 44 of the NHS (Scotland) Act 1978 where he has acquired supplies of human blood for the purpose of carrying out blood transfusion or supplies of other substances or preparations for the purposes of providing services under the 1978 Act, to make arrangements for making such supplies available to medical practitioners and other persons who require 551W them and he may make those available on such terms including terms as to payment of charges and on such conditions as he may determine.
Under section 54 of the 1978 Act he is required to exercise the powers conferred on him under section 44 only to the extent that he is satisfied that anything which he purported to do or allow under that power—
- (a) will not to a significant extent interfere with the performance by him of any duty imposed on him by the 1978 Act to provide services of any kind, and
- (b) will not to a significant extent operate to the disadvantage of persons having access to services at Health Service hospitals otherwise than as private patients.
My right hon. Friend has delegated his powers in relation to section 44 of the Common Services Agency of 552W which the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service is a division. The supply of blood and blood products to private hospitals is therefore subject to the obligation under section 54.
Arrangements are being made for a copy of the contract with the Health Care International to be placed in the Library. The contract stipulates that in situations of extreme shortage the regional director or depute will have the right to retrieve products from the hospital in order to maintain supplies essential for the immediate and pressing requirements of NHS-funded patients. Responsibility for blood supplies in other parts of the United Kingdom is a matter for the appropriate Secretary of State.