§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes are planned in the funding arrangements for the blood transfusion service.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNo fundamental changes to the arrangements for blood supply to the National Health Service are planned.
409WNew accounting arrangements are being introduced which will help to establish closer relationships between regional transfusion centres and their hospitals and so enable an even better service to be provided. These changes affect the way in which the regional transfusion centres are funded for their operating costs of approximately £70 million per annum. The regional health authorities have traditionally allocated funds direct to the regional transfusion centres. In future those funds will be devolved to the district health authorities and the regional transfusion centres will recover their operating costs in proportion to the districts' demands on the regional transfusion centre for blood supplies.
The reimbursement of the regional transfusion centres will not include any element for the blood itself. This is freely donated by voluntary donors to whom we are all indebted.
I understand that two regional transfusion centres have introduced the new arrangements from 1 April this year and the others plan to do so from 1 April 1991.