Ben Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health of 26 November 2015, Official Report, column 1481, what the (a) timetable and (b) terms of reference are of the review of blood donation policy by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.

Jane Ellison

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) decided at its meeting in January 2016 to carry out a review of deferral criteria for blood donors in relation to risks both from sexually transmitted diseases and from infections potentially transmitted by other routes, for example, tattooing or intravenous drug use.

The process will fully involve stakeholders, and will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice. The terms of reference will be published once approved by SaBTO.