Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of blood donation in each of the last two years.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for the provision of a safe, reliable, efficient supply of blood to hospitals in England. Blood stocks are monitored daily and NHSBT has continued to fulfil hospital orders over the last two years.

Demand for blood decreased by around one third at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blood collection also fell due to shortfalls in staffing levels and a fall in donor attendance. To meet the social distancing requirements, NHSBT increased its capacity for blood collection by recruiting more staff and opening new temporary blood collection centres.

Hospital demand for blood has since returned to normal levels and as of 11 February 2022, NHSBT held more than six days’ stock. This is in addition to hospital stock.