NI gay blood donation rules brought into line with rest of UK

Gay and bisexual men were banned from giving blood at all in Northern Ireland following the emergence of Aids in the 1980s, until the ban was lifted in 2016 by the health minister at that time, Michelle O’Neill.

As things stand, men who have sex with other men can donate blood in Northern Ireland after a so-called ‘deferral’ period of one year.

But this is in contrast with England, Scotland and Wales, where the deferral period was reduced to three months in November 2017.

Now, Health Minister Robin Swann has announced Northern Ireland will be brought into line with the rest of the UK on June 1.

“My decision is based solely on the evidence regarding the safety of donated blood,” Mr Swann said.

“Any one of us may require a blood transfusion in the future and we need to be confident that the blood we receive is safe. As minister for health it is of utmost importance to me that we maintain the safety of blood and I’m confident that the new policy that I am announcing today will do that, while allowing more people to donate.”

England, Scotland and Wales adopted the three-month deferral period on the back of a report published in June 2017 by a committee set up to advise the government on blood, tissue and organ donation.

Mr Swann said his decision to bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK is also based on the findings of the committee.

“The safety of donated blood depends on two things – donor selection and the testing of blood,” he said.

“Every blood donation is tested for HIV and a number of other organisms.

“Not even the most advanced tests are 100% reliable, so it is vitally important for every donor to comply with any deferral rules that apply to them.”

Mr Swann added: “I have instructed the NI Blood Transfusion Service accordingly. To allow adequate preparation time the new policy will come into effect on June 1.”

Alliance health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw welcomed the move, saying: ““The expert advice had been clear for years, and it should not have taken us so long to reach this stage. This is good news for the health service because the alignment of blood donation arrangements will make management of donation simpler.”