NHS Blood and Transplant Service: Blood Stocks

Lord Patel Excerpts

Tuesday 30th July 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is right in her observations. What I can say is that, while there has been a dramatic and somewhat sustained increase in the need for O-group blood, that is now improving. There has not been a negative effect on elective surgery; I think that is an important reassurance. In the future, obviously cyberattacks are going to be something that we are going to have to always be mindful of. That is why the service, at my request, is working to come up with plans for greater resilience, and such work is already ongoing within the department and across government.

[Lord Patel (CB)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that, as a country, we should be pleased that, throughout the four nations of the United Kingdom, we are self-sufficient now in blood and all blood products and do not have to import, as we used to in the past? Furthermore, the problem that occurred was because, apparently, demands became suddenly high and the stocks were there for about only 1.4 days; normally, they are there for about four days. For a person being transfused, it is better if they are transfused with freshly donated blood, rather than blood that has been on the shelf, because it will last in their bodies for longer. The problem, particularly for recipients and donors of O-group blood, was, I hope, temporary and will be addressed.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I assure the noble Lord that it is indeed a temporary problem. However, it is likely the alert will go on for a little while yet, not least because, as I mentioned, we can benefit from keeping it in place. I absolutely associate myself with the assessment that it is so much better to be self-sufficient within the United Kingdom, and that will be of great benefit. It is important to realise that this is a situation that we must live with but not be at the mercy of. I also assure the noble Lord and the House that this is because of external factors and not internal factors to do with the service, as was the case in 2022.

Coronavirus: UK Deaths

Lord Patel Excerpts

Monday 29th July 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his kind welcome and I hear his disappointment that it is not my noble friend Lord Vallance—who will be extremely flattered—answering. On the matter of lockdowns, I start by paying tribute to the British public; it was they who rallied to ensure that lockdowns could save lives. Before Oral Questions, I met with the Chief Medical Officer to discuss the very point that the noble Lord has raised. I say to the House that, when looking at other countries, it is very important to consider the complexity of comparison; it is just not possible to draw direct comparisons. But what I can say is that we are of course waiting for the Covid inquiry, which will shine a light on a number of the matters that the noble Lord has raised.

[Lord Patel (CB)]

My Lords, on a previous occasion when the noble Lord asked the same Question and cited the Swedish mortality rates, I cited a study carried out in Scandinavia comparing the Swedish model with Scandinavian countries that implemented lockdowns. It clearly showed that the death rates were lower in those Scandinavian countries that implemented lockdowns. To satisfy the noble Lord today, I asked ChatGPT to compile all the evidence. It said:

“In summary, while lockdowns during COVID-19 were effective in reducing death rates from the virus itself, they also had complex and varied impacts on overall public health. The net effect on mortality rates includes both the direct benefits of reduced transmission and the indirect consequences of restricted mobility and access to healthcare”.


Will the Minister agree that there is now some evidence that lockdowns were effective in reducing mortality?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his informed observations. It is true to say that every Government were making decisions based on balance and that, with that, as the noble Lord said, not locking down would have meant that more lives would have been lost. It is important to put on record that the clear majority of professional opinion in this country was that lockdowns absolutely had their place. Even though there was a balance in terms of difficulties with mental health, access to services and the impact on the economy, in Opposition we supported the then Government, as we would in any national emergency.