§ Ms EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the clinical implications of the National Blood Authority's proposal to cease blood processing in Liverpool in relation to hospital and domiciliary services; which hospitals are served by the Liverpool centre; and if he will make a statement. [1571]
§ Ms JowellThe transfer of bulk testing and processing work from the Liverpool to the Manchester Blood Centre is part of the National Blood Authority's major reorganisation programme designed to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of the Blood Service. The transfer will be carefully monitored to ensure that clinical services to hospitals will not be adversely affected.
The hospitals served by the Liverpool blood centre are Alder Hey Children's, Arrowe Park, Broadgreen, Countess of Chester, Fazakerly, Glan Clwyd, Gwynedd, Maelor, Nobles, Ormskirk, Royal Liverpool, St. Helens, Southport, Walton, Warrington and Whiston. The Liverpool centre will continue to supply those hospitals with blood and to provide them with specialist services.
The plans to reorganise the service were announced in November 1995 after a wide-ranging lengthy and in parts contentious consultation exercise. Implementation of the reorganisation programme, which is being phased to tie in with the introduction of a new national computer system was already well advanced under the previous administration. However, in the light of recent representations on this matter, I have agreed to meet hon. Members from the Liverpool area to discuss, and hopefully resolve, their concerns about the change.