Hansard

I, too, congratulate Rona Mackay on securing this evening’s debate and on the campaigning that she has undertaken on this issue since she was elected.

The 2011 change, which was initiated by the UK Government’s Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs, was a welcome step forward. However, looking at it now, it looks like just a small step forward. I acknowledge that many men who have sex with men—including many gay couples in long-term, monogamous relationships—and who want to donate blood remain deeply disappointed and frustrated that they are still unable to do so. As Patrick Harvie said, there have been advances in technology and testing. I think that we would all agree that it is the right time to look again at the matter, with the aim of blood donation risk assessments being carried out, as happens with organ, stem cell and bone marrow donations.

I am very sympathetic to the suggestion that sexual behaviour and not sexual orientation should be the determining factor in whether someone can donate blood and that individual, risk-based assessments are thus more appropriate than a blanket-ban approach.

I welcome the fact that the UK Government’s advisory committee has initiated a new review of policy in this area and I think that we all look forward to its conclusions in order to move the issue forward.

A number of other developed nations, including our European partners Italy and Spain, do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation but, rather, use the individual risk assessment approach. We should look at how those countries manage their systems of blood donations safely and effectively and see what we can learn from them.

Like other members, I thank all those who work for the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and all the blood donors—not only in my Lothian region, but across Scotland—for the literally life-saving contribution that they make. They really do help to save lives and we must do all that we can to support them and to encourage more people to come forward and donate blood.

Last Friday, I met representatives of a local cancer charity in my region, who informed me that, on average, patients with leukaemia commonly require up to eight units of blood or blood products each day during treatment, for weeks at a time. It is estimated that 18 blood donors are required to provide the blood that is needed for just one leukaemia patient undergoing a month’s treatment.

It is therefore of real concern that the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service has said that the number of new blood donors in Scotland has declined by 30 per cent in the past five years. Statistics show that 96 per cent of new donors are under the age of 55, but the blood transfusion service is increasingly relying on donors aged over 55 to make sure that there is always enough blood for patients. Less than 4 per cent of the eligible population in Scotland are active blood donors, so we need to look at new and imaginative ways of getting more people to become active donors.

When the minister responds to the debate, I would like her to outline the Scottish Government’s position on people who have had blood transfusions who are currently excluded from donating blood, as that is another potentially large group in society who would very much like to give blood. We need to look at that area and move it forward.

I again welcome the debate and recognise the cross-party support that exists for a better assessment policy. I believe that, working together, we can introduce such a system and I look forward to progress being made to implement it.