§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people with haemophilia have now been infected with hepatitis C and HIV respectively by contaminated National Health Service blood products; and what is currently being done to assess and implement new technologies to deal with (a) existing and (b) emerging pathogens in blood components supplied by the National Blood Service. [HL2422]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathWe estimate that 1,240 people with haemophilia were infected with HIV and around 3,000 with hepatitis C before viral inactivation of blood products began in the mid-1980s.
New blood safety initiatives, including technologies to remove pathogens in blood, are considered by the National Blood Service's Blood and Tissue Safety Assurance Group and the Department of Health's Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation. Initiatives planned for the next 12 months include the introduction of new methods for viral screening and reducing bacterial contamination of transfused blood and an operational assessment of a new technology to remove existing and emerging viruses and bacteria from platelets.