§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proportion of patients requiring transfusion plasma who received only virus inactivated products in the past year. [75002]
§ Ms BlearsNo data are collected centrally on the proportion of virally inactivated fresh frozen plasma (FFP) received by patients. In April 2002, the national blood service (NBS) introduced methylene blue treatment of FFP for neonates and children born after 1 January 1996. United Kingdom FFP is already a very safe product. To minimise the risk from viruses, it is made only from previously tested blood donors. The current high levels of safety are achieved by screening out potential high risk donors and then further testing every unit of donated blood for the presence of infections, such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. FFP produced by the NBS, using UK donors, has also been leucodepleted to remove white cells, which evidence suggests may carry the greatest risk of transmitting vdD. A commercially produced, pooled solvent detergent treated FFP is licensed in the UK and available to the National Health Service.
§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the use of methlyene blue treated fresh frozen plasma in children. [75006]
§ Ms BlearsProvision of methylene blue (MB) treated fresh frozen plasma for children born after 1 January 1996 is part of a larger strategy to provide single unit, virus inactivated non-United Kingdom plasma for this group. Steps are actively being taken to find a safe, reliable source of plasma from the United States, an area free of BSE. The use of a non-pooled product minimises the risk of spread of pathogens, which may not be susceptible to the pathogen inactivation process. Currently, MB is the only available product for virally inactivating single unit plasma.
This policy will be kept under review by the Government's expert advisory committee on the microbiological safety of blood and tissues for transplantation.