LIFESAVING medicine made from the plasma of blood donors in Cornwall is now being used by NHS patients around the country.

This historic milestone marks the first time in a quarter of a century that plasma is being used to make life-saving medicines for NHS patients, reducing reliance on imports.

Plasma makes up 55 per cent of our blood and contains antibodies which strengthen or stabilise the immune system. The antibodies are then separated out and made into medicines which treat people with life limiting illnesses such as immune deficiencies.

These lifesaving medicines can only be made from human blood. The most important medicine is immunoglobulin.

In the last year of published statistics, it showed the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust treated 83 patients with immunoglobulin.

Plasma has been separated out from blood donations in Cornwall across England over the past three years, stored up and then made into the medicine through a week-long manufacturing process.

Over the past two years, blood donors in Cornwall have supplied around 5,000 litres of plasma in total, enough to make about 2,200 treatments, helping to save or improve around 60 lives over a year.

In England, around 17,000 people rely on immunoglobulin to save or improve their lives each year. And thousands of patients rely on albumin – another plasma medicine – which is used in childbirth, trauma and to treat liver conditions.

The news is important because there is a global shortage of plasma medicines. The NHS has previously relied solely on imported plasma medicines as a lasting legacy of Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. The new supply of UK plasma medicines will bolster supplies to the NHS. It will reduce reliance on imports, which can be hit by reductions in supply and prices spikes.

Daniel Cooper, NHSBT Assistant Director for Blood Donation Operations, said: “Thanks to our amazing blood and plasma donors in Cornwall and across England, because for the first time in a quarter of a century, patients are now receiving plasma medicines made from donations taken in England.

“Your donation is now helping save lives in new ways. Go to blood.co.uk to become a donor.”

There are two ways that you can give plasma. Every time you give blood in Cornwall, your plasma may be used too. Or you can donate plasma at three specialist sites in Birmingham, London and Reading. A recovered plasma donation gives us around 270 millilitres of plasma, whereas a plasma donation can give us between 560 millilitres and 700 millilitres.

Dr Susan Walsh, the Chief Executive Officer of Immunodeficiency UK, added: “This is a historic moment – patients from Cornwall can now get lifesaving and life-improving immunoglobulin medicine made from the plasma of UK blood and plasma donors.

“Immunoglobulins recognise dangerous micro-organisms and help the immune cells to neutralise them. It’s a vital treatment for people with immune disorders.

“We urge people in Cornwall to try blood donation. Your red blood cells will be used as normal, but now the blood plasma can also help vulnerable people with immune disorders.”