Written question asked by Dai Havard (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 November 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 November 2001. It was answered by Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour) on Monday, 12 November 2001 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the National Blood Service's Appropriate use of Blood and Blood Components Group plans to minimize the risk of transfusion-transmitted vCJD.

Answer: Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the National Blood Service's appropriate use of blood and blood components group plans to minimize the risk of transfusion-transmitted vCJD. [13506] Mr. Hutton: The National Blood Service appropriate use of blood group aims to minimise the theoretical risk of transfusion-transmitted vCJD by ensuring that blood and blood components are only ever transfused when clinically indicated. This is in addition to measures introduced by the Government to reduce the theoretical risk of transmitting vCJD through blood--leucodepletion of blood for transfusion and the importation from the United States of America of plasma for fractionation.

Secondary information