HC Deb 24 November 1992 vol 214 c592W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the cost of purchase to the hospital service of the NHS of(a) plasma and (b) factor 8 in each year since 1985; and how the cost of the purchaser was shared between (i) NHS-derived material, (ii) non-NHS British material and (iii) imported material;

(2) how much (a) plasma and (b) factor 8 was used in the NHS in each year since 1985; and what was the country of origin of imported plasma or factor 8, used in each of those years;

(3) what is the item cost of (a) blood plasma and (b) factor 8 from (i) NHS, (ii) non-HNS British and (iii) imported sources.

Mr. Sackville

Many of these details are not held centrally. Such information as is available is given in the table. The national health service does not import plasma and uses only plasma derived from voluntary unpaid donors in this country.

United Kingdom usage of factor 8 concentrate (millions of international units)
Year Number
1985 74.0
1986 85.3
1987 85.2
1988 98.4
1989 102.5
1990 104.3
1991 127.0
Plasma fractionated by the BIO Products laboratory (tonnes)
Year Number
1985–86 192
1986–87 197
1987–88 294
1988–89 493
1989–90 501
1990–91 451
1991–92 528

A small amount of plasma is not fractionated but for therapeutic purpose in hospitals.

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