Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on recording biological sex, legal sex and gender identity when a person donates blood; and how any such policy recognises biological sex-related risks such as transfusion-related acute lung injury.

NHS Blood and Transplant, which is accountable to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for the provision of a reliable, safe and efficient supply of blood to hospitals in England.

All donors complete an extensive donor health check questionnaire before each donation. The donations are then screened for infections before the blood is sent to hospitals.

NHS Blood and Transplant respects and accepts the self-identified gender of the person presenting to give blood. Both the potential donor’s assigned sex at birth and their self-identifying gender are recorded. This information is then used to dictate how NHS Blood and Transplant uses any donated product in respect of biological sex-related risks – including transfusion-related acute lung injury.