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Industrial donations as a percentage of all donors reduced at the Northern Region Blood Transfusion Service.

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In his witness statement, Dr Morris McClelland stated that the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the closure of factories had an adverse impact on donations. A reduction in the donor age limit was introduced to compensate for this loss.

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Dr Morris McClelland considered that he had a role in persuading colleagues to use less whole blood and more red cell concentrates; that "The most effective route of influence" was the haematologists and laboratory staff in charge of hospital blood banks who in turn influenced the clinicians in each speciality.

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Dr Morris McClelland noted in his statement to the Inquiry that there was an increase in red cell concentrates in Belfast from 20% to 75%.

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Dr Morris McClelland noted that the Belfast Regional Transfusion Centre had the capabilities to increase its production of cryoprecipitate to 20,000 packs per annum if they had been requested. No such request was made.

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Dr Morris McClelland noted that he did not recall being involved in any discussions in regards to workplace sessions and employees feeling pressured to donate blood.

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Dr Patricia Hewitt noted that blood collection at the North London Blood Transfusion Centre was based on mobile blood collection teams. When she commenced employment at the North London Blood Transfusion Centre there were two static clinics and a third static clinic was subsequently opened in Luton.

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Dr Vanessa Martlew noted that the North West Regional Transfusion Service included both the Lancaster and Manchester centres where Lancaster was responsible for its own donor recruitment and laboratory. It was also a significant contributor to the pool of specific plasma for the production of anti-D immunoglobulin.

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Dr William Wagstaff noted that blood mobiles and blood buses were used to facilitate donations and that "bleed on board" buses were more popular in London.

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A note of a meeting with Dr Patricia Hewitt recorded that mobile clinics collected blood daily and that there were 23 mobile clinics, in addition to there being 5 sessions for the blood mobile vehicle.

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Dr Huw Lloyd wrote to donors on behalf of the Blood Transfusion Service in the North East and Cumbria, attaching a leaflet with information on donor exclusion.

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The National Blood Transfusion Service screened repeat donors by showing them a list of diseases and health conditions and asking them to sign a form confirming they had read it.

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The "Guidelines for the Blood Transfusion Services in the United Kingdom 1989" was published.

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According to Dr Gamal Gabra's evidence to the Inquiry, the Glasgow Regional Transfusion Centre conducted oral donor interviews instead of a written health questionnaire, as was used in other centres. At certain locations, privacy screens were used.

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According to Dr Gamal Gabra's evidence to the Inquiry, the Glasgow Regional Transfusion Centre was producing cryoprecipitate at maximum capacity and could not have increased production.

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According to Dr Gamal Gabra's evidence to the Inquiry, the Glasgow Regional Transfusion Centre provided donor leaflets with information on AIDS. These leaflets were created by Dr Brian McClelland.

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In a meeting, regional transfusion directors heard that much of the donor screening process was conducted by clerical officers and donor attendants. No discussions were held on proposed revisions to the AIDS leaflets.

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The National Blood Transfusion Service form for blood donors was revised, listing a number of conditions including jaundice. There was no mention of hepatitis.

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National Blood Transfusion Service guidance for the selection of donors required donors to declare a list of conditions including jaundice and hepatitis.

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The regional transfusion directors revised the donor selection criteria to allow individuals who had a history of jaundice or hepatitis to be accepted as donors as long as they had not suffered from jaundice or hepatitis in the previous 12 months; or had not been in close contact with hepatitis or received a transfusion of blood or blood products in the previous six months and that their blood tested negative for the presence of HBsAg.

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