Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what demographic data his Department considered when choosing blood donation centres to pilot the post donation testing for advanced Hb assessment.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England.  NHSBT’s post donation testing feasibility study will assess if an analyser-based blood count, including a haemoglobin (Hb) assessment, can be used to assess a whole blood donor’s ability to have a blood collection taken safely without the need for a Hb measurement at subsequent donation appointments. If the donor’s Hb is above specific thresholds, it will determine the need for testing at their next visit, or for a deferral period based on the Hb being too low to donate. This will start NHSBT’s ability to personalise the deferral period of donors with low Hb.

This study started collecting baseline data in the London Middlesex mobile team and will roll out to the Manchester Norfolk House and Nottingham Donor Centres. These teams have been targeted to assess if testing is possible under current mobile and donor centre processes, rather than targeting specific donor groups or demographics.