§ Mr. Butterfillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue regulations to require that anyone administering blood products should wear surgical gloves; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe precautions to be taken are a matter for the doctor responsible for individual patients.
§ Mr. Butterfillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) to what extent non-heat-treated blood products are still being used in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement;
(2) by which date British heat-treated factor VIII, free of acquired immune deficiency syndrome virus, will become available from the national blood products laboratory in Elstree; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he is satisfied that the output of heat-treated blood products from the national blood products laboratory in Elstree is sufficient to meet domestic demand; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeInformation on the use of blood products is not available centrally. Heat-treatment can be applied only to certain blood products, of which factor VIII is one of the most important. At present the blood products laboratory, Elstree manufactures almost half of the National Health Service consumption of factor VIII. BPL has started to heat treat its factor VIII, and limited amounts will be distributed to the National Health Service for clinical trials within the next two weeks. Heat-treatment capacity is being increased, and it is hoped that, by April this year, all BPL factor VIII will be heat-treated.
The major redevelopment of BPL is on schedule to open in January 1986. This is intended to provide the capacity to meet the forecast demand on the National Health Service in England and Wales for factor VIII. The heat-treatment process however reduces product yield and the consequences of this for the timetable for achieving self-sufficiency in factor VIII is being examined.