§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the Government's objective was in purchasing an American blood bank; and if he will make a statement; [144110]
389W(2) what factors led to the Government's decision to purchase an American blood bank; and if he will make a statement; [144111]
(3) what comparisons he has made between the safety of blood available from the American blood bank it has purchased and blood available in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [144112]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonOn 17 December 2002, following thorough options analysis work and detailed market research, the Department purchased the largest remaining independent United States plasma collector Life Resources Incorporated. The objective was to secure long-term supplies of non-United Kingdom blood plasma to ensure that the global plasma shortage would not reduce the availability to National Health Service patients of life-saving plasma products such as immunoglobulins and clotting factors. Large volumes of plasma are required for medicinal product manufacture, especially immunoglobulm
The NHS has been using US-sourced plasma since 1998 because of the unknown and unquantifiable risk of transmission of vCJD through blood. At the time Life Resources Inc. was purchased, the US had no reported cases of BSE or CJD and was the only country able to supply the quality and quantity of plasma required. The US also has a well-established pool of donors, a well-regulated environment and a developed collection industry. The Government are aware of the one case of BSE reported in the US and considers this to be a negligible risk to the safety of the blood supply. This case is not in itself a reason to alter current arrangements but we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
It is standard in both the UK and the US that, in addition to screening donors for the major blood borne viruses of HIV, Hepatitis B and C, all blood products are heat treated or chemically treated to remove any viral contamination that may have escaped the screening process
In the UK, expert advice is that if vCJD is transmissible through blood, the infection is most likely to be contained in the white cells and plasma. As a precautionary measure, we instituted universal leucodepletion (removal of the white cells) of all blood for transfusion from 31 October 1999.
§ Jane GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives to the National Blood Service on the questions which may be asked of potential blood donors; and if he will make a statement.[144861]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe National Blood Authority (NBA) undertakes a rigorous selection of blood donors as the first step in ensuring the safety of the blood supply. The questionnaire and accompanying interview of potential blood donors have been developed to elicit appropriate information relevant to donation. There are two important aims, which are to ensure as far as possible that the donated blood is safe for transfusion to patients and that blood donation is not detrimental to the donor's health
390WDonors are accepted or deferred on the basis of the information they give the NBA using the United Kingdom donor selection guidelines developed by the Joint UK Blood Transfusion Services and National Institute of Biological Standards and Control which are used throughout the UK. All donors are asked to read a blood safety leaflet, which outlines key lifestyle risk factors
The donor selection procedures and questions used in the UK are in line with the recommendations of the Council of Europe and will be in line with the proposed European Union Directive 2002/98/EC (Article 29) on setting standards of quality and safety for the collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of human blood and blood components.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many pints of(a) blood and (b) plasma were used by the NHS in each of the last five years;[145938]
(2) how much donated blood was used in (a) cancer operations and (b) transfusions in each of the last five years.[145940]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 5 January 2004]Information on the number of units of blood and plasma used by the national health service in the last five years is not collected centrally.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the main uses are to which donated blood is put; and what proportion of donated blood was discarded in each of the last five years.[145939]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 5 January 2004]Approximately half of red cell transfusions are used for medicinal purposes including anaemia, haematology and gastro-intestinal bleeding. The remaining half is used mainly in surgery, but also in obstetrics and gynaecology
Figures provided by the National Blood Authority (NBA) show the proportion of red blood cells that the NBA has discarded over the last three years
Percentage Time expired Collection discards Testing related discards Breakages and leaks discard Processing discards Total 2000–01 0.1 2.8 1.3 0.6 1.2 6.0 2001–02 0.2 2.6 1.2 0.5 1.4 5.9 2002–03 0.5 2.6 1.3 0.6 1.1 6.1 The NBA does not have data for previous years.
The NBA strives to hold enough stocks of blood to meet extra or excess demand for blood in the event of any emergencies or major incidents.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pints of blood have been donated in each of the last five years.[145941]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 5 January 2004]Figures in the table supplied by the National Blood Authority show number of units of blood donated in each of the last five years. 391W
Number of units donated 1998–99 2,389,622 1999–2000 2,427,052 2000–01 2,357,568 2001–02 2,379,784 2002–03 2,332,371