NHS Blood and transplant service

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Privatising the NHS Blood and Transplant Service would be a "huge error" and fundamentally change the relationship between the service and its donors, says Jim Dobbin MP.

There are serious concerns that the government is considering the introduction of the private sector into NHS Blood and Transplant Service. In my opinion this would be a huge error and would fundamentally change the relationship between the service and its donors.

When health secretary Andrew Lansley took office last year he began a review into the blood service in order to "commission an in-depth review of opportunities to make it more commercially effective".

Since then, his department has held talks with private providers about running parts of NHS Blood and Transplant Service. It is understood that Capita and DHL are among the interested bidders.

But where will this stop? Does the government want to open the door to companies to make profit from people donating life saving blood to others?

Union members who work in the blood service started a petition to safeguard the service in NHS hands. There are now 35,000 signatures on that petition to and it is building all the time. The prospect of privatising the Blood Service really does worry people.

Within a few hours of opening the petition, 300 people got in touch to tell how much they valued the blood service. For many of them, they or a loved one had personally benefited from the altruism of a fellow human being. The idea that cash or profit should be brought into the service was abhorrent to them.

The service began to support troops in WWII. It is older than the NHS itself. Millions of pints of blood are given every year because people care about their fellow humans, not Capita's bottom line.

Among those who contacted Unite was someone who gave immediately in the aftermath of 7/7. They said they would think again if they thought a company was cleaning up from human tragedy.

Latest Department of Health communications confirm that the government is considering ways in which to make the service 'commercially effective', which is nonsense given that this is one of the most efficient blood services in the world.

But now Capita, DHL and TNT are hovering, looking to bid to operate a part of the service.

Simon Burns' replies to questions asked, confirm that they will 'outsource' where this gives best value. Again, this is vague but potentially terrifying. Best value means what? Research from New Zealand shows that people will be put off from donating if they detect a profit motive, if a commercially-driven blood service deters donors then it is not best value.

There is no case whatsoever to extend the private sector's role, and every fear that if it is extended, then the service will cease to be viewed as one of the most widespread acts of voluntary endeavour and human kindness in this country.

This government is losing the argument on the NHS, if the blood service is not safe from sell-off, how can we trust them with any other part of this public service?

Jim Dobbinhas been Labour/Co-op MP for Heywood and Middleton since 1997.