Blood facilities upgrade likely to be delayed 3 months

Tuesday 05 June 2018

Jersey’s blood donation service, which was suspended back in February after its ageing facilities were affected by “penetrating damp”, may not now reopen until October – three months later than expected.

The Health Department announced the move in January, stating that it was necessary to comply with EU standards, but promising that blood stocks would be maintained using supplies from England.

“We are currently working on a plan to improve the Island’s arrangements for blood donation. The current premises have become unsuitable as they are in an older part of the hospital with penetrating damp. The best way for us to handle the move is to stop taking donations for a short period,” Adrian O’Keeffe, Pathology Manager for the Health and Social Services Department, explained at the time.

But that measure was only supposed to be in place for around four months. 

It’s now been revealed that the upgrade could take up to three months longer, as the “upgrade of facilities has taken longer than originally envisaged” according to a recent Ministerial Decision.

Pictured: Jersey's previous blood donation facility was described as being housed in "an older part of the hospital with penetrating damp".

The Health Department have therefore had to extend a licence that would allow them to collect and ‘manufacture’ blood in the event of an emergency in which the temporary UK supply being used to plug the gap in blood stocks is compromised. 

Signed off by outgoing Health Minister Andrew Green shortly before his departure from the States on 22 May, a report justifying the decision explained: “On Expiry of the previous licence on 31st January 2018 routine collection and production of blood components was temporarily suspended while an upgrade of facilities was undertaken. Since 1st February blood has been sourced from the UK. However, in order to provide resilience in the event that supplies are disrupted the ability to collect blood and produce blood components locally needs to be maintained. 

“The current licence granted on 24th January 2018 was for a period of 6 months and expires on 31st July 2018. This licence was to enable the collection of blood and production of blood components to be undertaken in emergency circumstances should supplies from the UK be compromised while the planned upgrade of facilities locally is undertaken.

“The upgrade of facilities has taken longer than originally envisaged and a three-month extension to this six-month licence has been requested to run through to 31st October 2018.”

HSSD did not reveal the reason behind the delay, but a spokesperson commented: "The upgrading project has been slightly delayed. It is hoped that work may be completed prior to the end of July, within the time allowed for in the original Ministerial Decision. However, in order to ensure that there would be no risk of interruption to the Island’s blood supplies – which are being sourced from the UK as an interim measure – an additional three-month licence has been granted. This allows time for the work to be completed and for the inspection of the new facility by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which is necessary before it can re-open.”