Health officials have been forced into a U-turn over a decision to cancel blood donation sessions in Dover and Folkestone around Brexit day.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) said earlier on Tuesday it was cancelling sessions for two weeks before and six weeks after the date the UK leaves the EU owing to fears of disruption on the roads in the event of no exit deal.
But a Department of Health spokeswoman said: “The department does not agree with this course of action. We’ve discussed this issue with NHSBT and confirmed blood donations will continue as normal. We’re grateful to all lifesaving blood donors who make an important contribution.”
NHSBT’s director of blood donation, Mike Stredder, had said of the cancellations: “This is because in the event of issues at Calais and other freight ports, Operation Stack may be put in place by Highways England and the Kent police. This could lead to significant traffic in Kent and may prevent donation teams from reaching venues in the area or a donation leaving.”
He said there would be no effect on the service’s ability to supply hospitals locally as it would “compensate” with supplies from elsewhere in the country.
One member of the public said NHSBT had begun contacting volunteers to inform them of the cancellations. Marc Morris said his partner was told it was because of envisaged transport issues.
My partner just had a call from NHS Blood Donation, cancelling her April appointment, because they're shutting down in Kent port towns between mid-March and May, anticipating that Operation Stack on the M20 will prevent them from moving staff in or blood out.
— Marc Morris (@Longshanks1307) January 29, 2019
Kent is expected to bear the brunt of disruption if there are delays on the Dover-Calais ferry route or Eurotunnel services from Folkestone. In December the council warned a no-deal Brexit could cause disruption across the county, with gridlock on the roads around Dover, rubbish not being collected, children unable to take exams and key workers unable to get to hospitals and schools.
Stredder said the decision to suspend blood donation services would affect six sessions. “Over the same period we will hold around 2,700 other sessions elsewhere in the country. We will also hold replacement sessions at alternative sessions to compensate,” he said. “There will be no effect on blood stocks or on our ability to supply hospitals.”
Before the Department of Health demanded the decision be reversed, the shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said: “Yet again we learn of more disastrous consequences of Theresa May’s hopeless mishandling of Brexit. It’s utterly shocking that blood donations in Kent have been cancelled. It simply beggars belief that Tory ministers still refuse to rule out no deal, despite the devastating impact it will have on patients.”
