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Haemophilia Society to ‘Name & Shame’ MPs Following Objection to Bill

Friday 5 February 2010

This afternoon, in the House of Commons, the Government Whip raised an objection to Lord Morris’s Bill, and it has consequently been put back to the 26^th February for its Second Reading.

We at TaintedBlood wish to express our anger that this has happened on such a humane and important issue.  The passing of this Bill will affect not only the Haemophilia community but potentially every British citizen requiring blood.  When it becomes law it will help safeguard the blood supply of the entire country; a blood supply which, at present, is patently unsafe: 

• The NHS has been using US-sourced plasma since 1998 as part of its vCJD risk-reduction strategy and Life Resources in the USA has supplied BPL with plasma since 1999 because of safety fears.
  
  
• Fresh frozen plasma, for treating children up to the age of 16, is obtained from the USA. (Adults in Britain have to have UK-sourced fresh frozen plasma, along with its attendant risks!)
  
  
• Last October (‘09), a Government scientific Committee recommended the use of filters for blood transfusion – to filter red cells, but only for children under 13 years, at least initially. We are currently waiting for Government to put this into practice.
  
  
• People who have lived in the UK for more than 6 months between 1980 & 1997 are banned from donating in many countries, such as the USA.
  
  
• British citizens wishing to live abroad are not permitted to donate blood in their new country.
  
  
• The FDA have a permanent ban on blood donations from anyone who has spent more than 6 months in Britain between 1980 to 1997 because of the risk of vCJD.
  

We wish to strongly support the following statement, issued this afternoon by The Haemophilia Society, in which they state that they are going to ‘…name and shame…’ unsupportive MPs.

The Haemophilia Society Reacts Angrily to the Delay to the 2^nd Reading of the Contaminated Blood bill in the house of Commons

Chris James, Chief Executive said:

‘It is shaming for the Government to have denied a debate on the bill in such a hole in the corner way.  Those responsible for the delay have committed a foul disservice to all those affected and bereaved.  The celebrated author, Ruth Rendell, said of the bill earlier this week: ‘It would be unforgivable if it fails to receive a Second Reading in the House of Commons.  This must not happen.’

4,670 haemophilia patients were infected with hepatitis C through their NHS treatment and of these 1,243 were also exposed to HIV.  An estimated 1,974 have since died. On Wednesday this week many hundreds, some of whom are terminally ill travelled to London to lobby their MPs.

We will be seeking to name and shame those responsible and ensure, as Ruth Rendell also stated, that they are: ‘…made accountable to an electorate overwhelmingly in support of this humane Bill’s urgent enactment.’  We take pride in our President Lord Morris of Manchester’s drafting of this bill and his steering of it so swiftly through the House of Lords.

We would like to reassure you that, as Lord Morris said in the House of Parliament on Wednesday:

‘If the battle does have to go on, then go on it will, until right is done!’

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