§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total cost to the National Health Service of a unit of blood.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeBlood is donated to the National Blood Transfusion Service free of charge. The estimated cost to the NHS of collecting, handling and processing each unit of whole blood is £19.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many units of blood were provided in the last year for which figures are available to the private medical sector.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many units of blood have been supplied by the national blood transfusion service to (a) National Health Service hospitals and (b) other hospitals in England and Wales since May 1979.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIn 1982 regional blood transfusion centres in England and Wales issued 501W 1,837,575 units of blood, of which 31,437 units went direct to non-NHS hospitals. Information is not available centrally on the number of units supplied to non-NHS hospitals through NHS hospital blood banks.
In the previous three years total blood issues by transfusion centres were:
Number 1981 1,836,674 1980 1,793,172 1979 1,705,190 Details of issues to non-NHS hospitals for these years are not available centrally.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now impose a charge for every unit of blood provided by the National Health Service to the private medical sector.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am considering the views of the National Health Service and the private sector on the possibility of a handling charge and expect to be able to make an announcement soon.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what handling charge is made by non-National Health Service hospitals to the national blood transfusion service for blood supplied.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI assume that the hon. Member intended to ask what charge is made by the national blood transfusion service to non-National Health Service hospitals for the supply of blood. None.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many units of blood have been supplied to non-National Health Service hospitals in the north-west region by the national blood transfusion service from May 1979 to the latest date;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report the names of non-National Health Service hospitals which have been supplied with blood by the national blood transfusion service in the north-west region from May 1979 to the latest available date.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIn 1982, the first year such information was collected centrally, 1,414 units of blood were issued direct from the North West regional transfusion centre to the Alexandra hospital. Information about the issue of blood to other non-NHS hospitals through NHS hospital blood banks is not held centrally.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the operation of the national blood transfusion service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe are rightly proud of the national blood transfusion service which, with the support of its 2 million voluntary donors, succeeds in meeting this country's demands for whole blood.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current cost of running the national blood transfusion service.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe cost of running regional blood transfusion centres in England in 1981–82, the latest year for which figures are available, was £37.7 million.
502W
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it the policy of Her Majesty's Government not to supply blood to any private hospital which charges patients for the blood.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am not aware that any hospital charges patients for blood itself and would deprecate any moves to do so. I believe it is common practice for most non-NHS hospitals to reflect any cost of processing the blood in their charges to patients.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many units of blood have been supplied to non-National Health Service hospitals in the Merseyside area by the blood transfusion service since May 1979 to the most recent date;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report the names of non-National Health Service hospitals which have been supplied with blood by the blood transfusion service in the Merseyside area since May 1979.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo non-NHS hospitals have received supplies of blood direct from Mersey regional blood transfusion centre. Information about the issue of blood to non-NHS hospitals through NHS hospital blood banks is not held centrally.