Supply of Blood and Blood Products

Lord Kamall Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is quite right. We have to go to where people are and not just expect them to come to us, and using a whole range of venues is important, as are mobile donation facilities. This is constantly kept under review: the service is constantly reviewing where the most successful places are and looking at new venues and new opportunities to take up.

[Lord Kamall (Con)]

My Lords, to continue on the line of the noble Baroness, Lady Watkins, I remember that when we were looking at vaccine hesitancy, we looked at how we could reach certain communities—they do not like being called hard to reach because they feel they are being patronised. Quite often, it was through faith organisations; sometimes, it was through community leaders. What work has been done on the lessons learned from the vaccine hesitancy campaigns to encourage more people to give blood? I want also to ask about guidelines. I was speaking to a noble friend who said she had volunteered to give blood but was told that because she had passed the age of 66 and had never given blood in the UK before, she was not allowed to donate. Can we have some clear guidelines for those who are willing to give blood, especially Members of this House?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

Of course, is the answer to the noble Lord. On his point about reaching certain groups, we have invested across 51 organisations this year that are very much rooted in the community, and 31 of the projects across those organisations have worked nationally to boost awareness, understanding and behaviour change in black, Asian, mixed-heritage and minority-ethnic communities, where we need more people to come forward to donate blood in order that we have the blood we need for the conditions that they are there to meet.