Convalescent Plasma Programme Update

THE Department of Health and Social Care has asked NHS Blood and Transplant to start collecting plasma for fractionation and the manufacture of medicines, for an initial three months. This will enable plasma donors to save the lives of people with rare diseases who have intravenous immunoglobulin as part of their treatment. This decision reflects the confidence in NHSBT’s staff and network, demonstrated throughout the pandemic.

The DHSC has also asked NHSBT to stop collecting convalescent plasma. This follows the completed analysis of trial results which showed no overall benefit for people in hospital with coronavirus, and a decision not to resource a third trial into plasma use early in the disease.

We will now begin to transition a significant part of our network over to collecting plasma for lifesaving medicines. Convalescent plasma donation will finish today, March 18. We are currently informing donors as quickly as possible.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated and everyone who has supported us. They have played a vital role in critical research. The trial results have enabled scientists all over the world to direct their efforts.

NHSBT has won praise from across the health sector. We have converted 23 blood donor centres to take plasma donations, opened 20 dedicated plasma donation centres and took the clinical lead for the UK. We have recruited and trained more than 1,000 new colleagues. The programme’s successful delivery will enable NHSBT to achieve even more in the future.

Now, we can support the UK’s need for immunoglobulin medicines amidst global supply pressures. NHSBT already collects plasma as a by product of whole blood donations but a dedicated plasmapheresis programme will greatly increase NHSBT’s ability to provide plasma at volume. This will play an important part in reducing the UK’s reliance on international suppliers. Until the Government lifted a vCJD safety measure last month, plasma for these medicines could only be sourced from overseas. NHSBT will collect this plasma on a cost-recovery basis. The Government has said it will introduce a new condition to ensure UK plasma is used first for UK patients and not exported to meet contracts elsewhere.