In a groundbreaking development, the first NHS patients in a generation have begun receiving life-saving plasma from UK donors.
This milestone is the result of a partnership between NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and NHS England, marking a significant step forward in the UK's healthcare capabilities.
Since the lifting of a longstanding ban on UK plasma in 2021, the UK has been diligently building its own supply of plasma medicines. This initiative aims to address a global shortage and reduce the NHS's reliance on imports, potentially saving between £5 million to £10 million annually. This effort is part of the government's Plan for Change, which seeks to establish the UK as a leader in life sciences.
Approximately 17,000 NHS patients with immune deficiencies and rare diseases depend on human-donated plasma to improve or save their lives. Plasma is also crucial in emergency medicine, particularly for childbirth and trauma care. Jill Jones, a patient at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, made history by becoming the first to receive UK-sourced plasma. Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 20 years ago, she described the treatments as "life-changing."
Baroness Gillian Merron, Health Minister, said:
“This is a significant milestone for the NHS as we take a step toward UK self-sufficiency in these vital medicines.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we are improving access to life-saving treatments for thousands of NHS patients and strengthening healthcare security.
“By sourcing our own medicine, we are building a more resilient and domestic medical supply chain and boosting economic growth.”
This initiative is set to bolster the UK's capacity in the global plasma medicines industry, which was valued at over $30 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $45 billion by 2027. By enhancing self-sufficiency, the NHS aims to drive economic growth, attract investment in public services, and improve living standards.
Since 2021, NHSBT has collected 250,000 litres of plasma from donors in England. This plasma is used to produce two vital medicines: immunoglobulins, which treat autoimmune conditions, and albumin, essential for surgery and liver condition treatments. The NHS plans to achieve 25% self-sufficiency in immunoglobulin by the end of 2025, increasing to 30-35% by 2031, and 80% self-sufficiency in albumin by next year.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated global medical supply issues, leading to a national patient safety alert in July 2024 due to critically low blood stocks. This highlighted the importance of building self-sufficiency in the UK. Previously, the NHS relied solely on imported plasma medicines due to a ban introduced in 1998 as a precaution against Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease (vCJD), linked to mad cow disease.
Following rigorous scientific reviews, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed in 2021 that plasma from UK donors is safe, supported by robust safety measures. Decades of research have shown no confirmed cases of vCJD transmission through plasma-derived medicines.
Plasma, derived from blood donations, contains antibodies that strengthen or stabilise the immune system. These antibodies are separated and made into immunoglobulin medicines that treat life-limiting conditions such as immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, and severe burns.
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