Plasma for medicines donations to continue

The Government has directed us to keep collecting plasma for medicines and provided funding until at least March 2022. 

This follows the success of the interim 3 months and we are tremendously grateful to everyone who is donating plasma for medicines.

Collection will establish a domestic supply of plasma medicines for NHS patients.

These donations will reduce our reliance on imported plasma medicines and help save lives.

Donations will continue at Stratford, Birmingham, Manchester, Twickenham, Croydon, Chelmsford, Reading, Bristol, Barnsley, Bolton and Stockton.

The centres have been chosen after consideration of many factors, including large numbers of potential donors. With these centres, we can collect the plasma we need.

The other 3 donor centres which were temporarily retained from the convalescent plasma donation programme will close at the end of June. These are Tottenham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

We thank all the colleagues at these centres and we will seek to redeploy them and retain them where possible.

Our message to all plasma donors is please keep donating plasma for medicines – you will help save lives.

Donors at Tottenham, Coventry and Wolverhampton should continue donating plasma at that centre until the end of June.

After June we ask that they change plasma donor centre or, if they cannot travel to a new centre, to donate blood instead.

This direction to collect plasma beyond the interim period is an exciting opportunity, especially in the context of an international supply shortage.

By taking plasma donations we can save lives, protect supplies, and seek to reduce NHS costs.

We will remain in conversations with the Government about the future beyond March 2022.