§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) voluntary and (b) paid blood donations were made in each year since 1990; and how many in each category were used as (i) blood and (ii) plasma.
§ Mr. SackvilleThis country is self-sufficient in blood obtained from our voluntary, unpaid donors and we do not obtain supplies from other sources. The last year for which complete information is available centrally about the number and usage of voluntary donations is 1993. Complete information is not available centrally for earlier years.
In 1993 there were a total of 2,312,000 donations of whole blood and 120,000 plasmapheresis donations.
An individual donation may be put to a number of uses as a number of components may be derived from it. In 1993 the figures for the use of donations were:
- Whole blood—l06,000;
- Red cell components–1,959,000;
- Platelets–842,000;
- Fresh frozen plasma–266,000.
In addition; some 486,000 litres of plasma were recovered from whole blood donations and 60,000 litres of plasma from plasmapheresis donations.