Overview

This bill aims to increase umbilical cord blood donations in the UK. It mandates the Secretary of State to promote donation, set donation targets, and report annually to Parliament on progress.

Description

The Umbilical Cord Blood (Donation) Bill makes it the duty of the Secretary of State to:

• Encourage pregnant women to donate umbilical cord blood.
• Raise awareness of the medical and research value of cord blood.
• Specifically promote donation within minority groups and mixed-race families with a history of treatable diseases.
• Issue guidance to medical practitioners on informing pregnant women about cord blood collection and storage.

The bill also requires the Secretary of State to:

• Publish yearly targets for cord blood donations in NHS hospitals.
• Submit annual reports to Parliament detailing donation numbers and cord blood transplant numbers.

The bill defines "health service hospital" and "medical practitioner" according to existing legislation.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify exact figures for government spending. However, it will likely involve costs associated with the Secretary of State's duties, including public awareness campaigns, guidance production, and the collation and publication of data.

Groups Affected

• Pregnant women: Encouraged to donate umbilical cord blood.
• Medical practitioners: Required to provide information to pregnant women about cord blood donation.
• Minority ethnic groups and mixed-race families: Targeted for outreach efforts due to potential benefits from cord blood treatments.
• Patients with treatable diseases: Potentially benefit from increased availability of cord blood for transplants and research.
• NHS hospitals: Will be involved in collecting and potentially storing cord blood samples.

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