§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consider solvent detergent-treated transfusion plasma produced from United States of America plasma to be a safer product than fresh frozen plasma derived from United Kingdom donors in respect of both the known risks of viral and bacterial transmission and acute lung injury; and the unknown risks of vCJD infectivity; and [HL5764]
Why they have not requested the National Blood Service to use a safer form of transfusion plasma to reduce the mortality and morbidity levels associated 36WA with fresh frozen plasma as reported in the Serious Hazards of Transfusion report. [HL5766]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)The Government's Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissue for Transplantation is continuing to consider the relative efficacy and risks of the different types of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) available.
United Kingdom FFP is already a very safe product. To minimise the risk from viruses, it is made only from previously tested blood donors. Since the year 2000, an additional test for hepatitis C has been added. As a result the risk from a unit of FFP is estimated to be one in 5 million for HIV and lower than one in 1 million for hepatitis C. Over 300,000 units of FFP are issued annually and it is only given in life-threatening situations to prevent or stop haemorrhage associated with abnormal blood clotting.
The National Blood Service is conducting an option appraisal of means to minimise the risk of transfusion-related acute lung injury from FFP.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Given the announcement by the National Blood Service in its letter of 8 February that it has insufficient funds to provide methylene blue treated fresh frozen plasma to all patients, when they will announce and allocate sufficient funding increases to allow all National Health Service patients to access virus-inactivated plasma. [HL5767]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathAs an added precaution against the theoretical risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, the Government announced on 15 August that fresh frozen plasma (FFP) for young children and babies will be imported from the United States. This FFP will be treated with methylene blue to reduce the risk of viral transmission still further for this most vulnerable group. This decision was made following advice from the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation (MSBT) which is continuing to review the safety of FFP.
To cover the additional costs of methylene blue treatment of FFP for neonates and children born after 1 January 1996, the Department of Health's National Commissioning Group on Blood agreed that the National Blood Service could increase the charge made to National Health Service trusts for this product.
MSBT is continuing to keep this issue under review but there are currently no plans to allocate further funding for methylene blue treatment.
§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is appropriate that the National Blood Service, as a provider of blood and blood derived products to the National Health Service, should be the only representative of manufacturers on 37WA national committees, such as the National Transfusion Committee and Serious Hazards of Transfusion, where policy decisions taken may affect product choice and patient use in the National Health Service. [HL5768]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe National Blood Service (NBS) was established by the Secretary of State for Health as a special health authority under the National Health Service Act 1977 to exercise functions in relation to the preparation and supply of blood and blood products for the NHS. It is therefore appropriate that the NBS is invited to sit on relevant national committees, not to represent manufacturers but as a non-profit-making statutory body providing an essential service to the whole of the NHS.