Matthew visited the NHS Blood & Transplant Centre in Colindale to discuss the re-location of the donor testing facility with staff and management and to see for himself the services provided. The Centre is responsible for the supply of blood stocks across England and North Wales, tissue donation across the UK, the NHS Cord Blood Bank and the British Bone Marrow Registry, which provides patients with stem cells for transplantation.
Following a decision by the NHS last year, routine testing of donor blood samples will transfer from Colindale to Filton, near Bristol. Patient blood tests in local hospital are not affected as it is just the testing of donor blood samples. The change will impact on 40 existing posts in Colindale (held by 43 individuals), with 6 posts retained but subject to change, and one new post created. These seven vacancies have been ring-fenced for current staff at the centre.
Matthew said: "I do not ever want to see reductions to local services such as the testing facility at the National Blood Centre in Colindale. We should all be proud of the work undertaken locally. It is pleasing that the processing facility, the National Bacteriology Laboratory, Red Cell Immunoheamatology, Histocompatability and Immunogenetics, and Transfusion Micro medical facilities will remain. I have met with the staff and believe that managers have accommodated concerns and - in almost all cases - relocated the staff affected."