Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been infected with (a) hepatitis and (b) HIV by blood transfusions in each of the last five years.

There were no reports of HIV or hepatitis C transfusion transmissions between 2012 and 2016. There was one hepatitis B transmission reported and confirmed in 2012 affecting one recipient. Transfusion-transmitted infections of hepatitis E (HEV) reported to the blood services and confirmed between 2012 and 2016 are as follows:

2012: 1 HEV case (1 recipient)

2013: no reports

2014: 2 HEV incidents (3 recipients)

2015: 2 HEV incidents (3 recipients)

2016: 3 HEV incidents ( 3 recipients)

All HEV donations associated with transfusion transmitted infections were donated prior to the introduction of universal HEV screening of blood donations in 2017. Further information can be found at the Serious Hazards of Transfusion Website:

https://www.shotuk.org/