New blood donation rules come into effect

The government has confirmed that new changes to the rules on blood donation in England have come into force, as of November 28th.

Thanks to the new change, men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and those
with partners at high risk of a sexually-transmitted infection will be able to make donations, provided that three months have passed since the last sexual activity.

Previously, commercial sex workers were permanently excluded from blood donation, while the other groups had to wait 12 months after sex before they could donate. All donors must complete a Donor Health Check and have a private health screening before attending.

The changes were made on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs earlier this year, and will allow more people to donate blood without affecting the safety of the blood supply.

Dr Gail Miflin, medical and research director at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "We have one of the safest blood supplies in the world. Anyone may require a blood transfusion in the future and so it's in all our interests to ensure that we work hard to keep blood safe for patients."

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