§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his current advice concerning the advisability of people in HIV high risk groups carrying kidney donor cards; and if he will list any medical conditions which render carrying such cards inadvisable.
§ Mr. MellorOn 2 March 1987 the Department's chief medical officer wrote to all doctors to remind them of the precautions needed to prevent the transmission of HIV through the transplant of infected tissue or organs. He made it clear that it was essential that blood from the donor is tested and found negative for HIV antibodies before the organ or tissue is transplanted and that inquiries should also be made to exclude donors most likely to have been exposed to the AIDS virus. I do not propose at present to issue a list of contra-indications to organ donation because assessment of the medical suitability of a potential donor is a matter for the doctors concerned, and is undertaken at the time of donation.