§ Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what informed consent is sought from, and what information is given to, blood donors concerning circumstances in which their donation may be sold(a) outside the NHS, (b) into the private sector and (c) outside the United Kingdom; [38469]
(2) if he will make a statement about the circumstances in which the NHS patients charter commitment that blood donations will not be sold (a) applies fully, (b) applies with qualifications and (c) does not apply. [38472]
§ Mr. HoramThe consent of donors is not required for the national blood service to make supplies of donated blood available outside the national health service. Blood itself is never sold, although a handling charge is made to cover the costs of collecting, testing, processing and delivering blood. The commitment given in the blood donors charter therefore applies fully. However, as is also stated in the charter, surplus blood products derived from donations of whole blood may be sold to any other country after NHS demand has been satisfied. This avoids waste of a valuable resource and keeps down costs to the NHS. Details of what happens to donations is made available to donors through leaflets produced by the NBS and through the charter.
§ Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many units of each type of blood product were(a) supplied to private hospitals and (b) used by private patients within NHS units for each of the last three years; for which figures are available; [38516]
(2) what is the order of priority for the supply of blood products for supply to (a) the NHS, (b) the private sector and (c) overseas users in times of acute United Kingdom or regional shortage; [38467]
(3) what is the method of invoicing and payment for blood products supplied for private sector use; [38468]
(4) what charges are levied on (a) private hospitals and (b) private medical practitioners for the supply of blood products for use outside the NHS. [38515]
§ Mr. HoramInformation about the amount of blood products supplied to private hospitals and to private patients within national health service units is not collected centrally. Blood products manufactured from plasma derived from freely donated blood in the United Kingdom may be exported only if they are surplus to NHS requirements.
Methods of invoicing and payment and fees charged are a matter for suppliers.
§ Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to comply with the commitments given in the NHS patients charter in respect of blood donors; and if he will make a statement. [38466]
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§ Mr. HoramAs part of the national health service patient's charter programme, an interim blood donor's charter was published last November. The National Blood Authority is working towards the implementation of the targets for improved services to blood donors set out in that charter and will publish performance results each year. The charter will be reviewed after a year, taking account of the comments being invited from doctors.