Overview

This bill aims to increase the donation of umbilical cord blood in the UK. It makes it the duty of the Secretary of State to promote cord blood donation, raise awareness of its medical benefits, and set targets for donation levels.

Description

The Umbilical Cord Blood (Donation) Bill mandates the Secretary of State to:

• Encourage pregnant women to donate umbilical cord blood.
• Increase public awareness of cord blood's value in treating diseases and conducting research.
• Promote cord blood collection from specific groups, including minorities and 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 annual targets for cord blood donations at NHS hospitals.
• Submit yearly reports to Parliament on the progress against these targets, including the number of donations and transplants performed.

The bill defines "health service hospital" and "medical practitioner" according to existing legislation. The bill applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify exact figures for government spending. However, it is likely to incur costs associated with the Secretary of State's new duties, including public awareness campaigns, guidance production, and monitoring of donation targets.

Groups Affected

• Pregnant women: Will be encouraged to donate umbilical cord blood.
• Medical practitioners: Will be required to provide information on cord blood donation to pregnant women.
• Minority groups and families with a history of specific diseases: Will be specifically targeted for cord blood donation campaigns.
• Patients requiring cord blood transplants: May benefit from increased availability of cord blood units.
• Researchers: May benefit from increased availability of cord blood for research purposes.

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