AQW 6961/11-15
Mr Mark Durkan
Social Democratic and Labour Party
Foyle
Tabled Date: 23/01/2012
Answered On Date: 06/02/2012
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) the agencies and organisations he has had meetings with in relation to the lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood; (ii) when he plans to make a decision on lifting the lifetime ban, following the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs, for a one-year deferral period; and (iii) the countries in Great Britain from which Northern Ireland has received blood in (a) November 2011, (b) December 2011 and (c) January 2012.
Answer:
In relation to blood donations by men who have had sex with men I have had meetings with the Office of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland, the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), and the Rainbow Project. I will make a decision on this matter when I have considered all the relevant evidence and legal advice. Regarding blood received from other GB countries, the table below sets out the position at 25 January 2012. Month | Country | Detail | November 2011 | England (NHSBT) | 4 units of phenotyped red cells imported for a patient with complex antibodies requiring urgent surgery. | December 2011 | Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) | 50 units of group O neg red cells imported due to low stocks of O neg pre-Christmas. | January 2012* | Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) | 50 units of group O neg red cells imported due to low stocks post-Christmas |
* as of 25 January 2012
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