Blood Donations

Speech delivered on Thu 24th Sep 2009

Thank you presiding officer.

Tonight's debate is on an issue which will have resonance with many people across Scotland and my congratulations to Rhoda Grant for securing it. In fact I should declare an interest as my youngest child, Julia, was given a blood change as a newborn baby, something which undeniably saved her life. Her and my blood are rhesus positive whilst me wife's is negative, which resulted in a large build up of antibodies in my daughter's blood, and the need to induce my wife one month early followed by a flushing out of the antibodies with donor blood - and I can reveal that the Dr did state that that was the first time that that procedure had been done in the Borders nearly 16 years ago. Since then I give blood. And I am proud to say that my blood type is coincidentally the same as my attitude to life - that's B Positive of course.

So I know that giving blood is vitally important whether through my own personal experience, or experiences of friends and family who have received a transfusion and by listening to the appeals of the Blood Transfusion Service.

I give blood as often as possible and it's always a worthwhile exercise to take an hour out of your day to do it whether at your local hospital or the mobile service which travels around Scotland, including outside this building, which I can recommend.

As Rhoda Grant's motion says, I hope that employers will be proactive and allow staff time off to donate blood because I'm sure that one of the reasons people don't give blood is simply because they can't find the time. Having an hour or so off from their work would undoubtedly encourage people to give blood and with the essential mobile service, giving blood is now easier than ever before as it tries to fit in with busy lives.

We all know the regular emails that come round the parliament's email system when the mobile donation service is in Holyrood Park and I think that this is genuinely an excellent way to encourage and remind people to give blood if you can. I hope that other employers can do this and surely together with flexibility for staff to give blood in work hours, this should increase blood stores. I myself have always reminded staff that they are free to take time out to donate - they do - and it is sensible that employers play a big role in helping the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service - they may need it or one of the many blood products themselves one day.

I'd like to at this point take a moment to congratulate the Service on their campaign launched just last year which so far has recruited an extra 10,000 donors. That campaign will continue and I hope that through the continued advertising and other ways of reaching the public, the Service will go on to recruit another 10,000. And those numbers are needed as we do have 30,000 less donors than a decade ago, and it's a problem not just in the Highlands but of course across the South of Scotland too. And I also believe that we should not exclude sectors of our society, such as healthy gay men, when testing of blood has progressed so much. And I hope that the UK advisory committee for safety and blood will reconsider this decision.

At the same time as congratulating the Scottish Blood Transfusion, I would also offer my assistance in doing whatever I can do help them with their campaign in the South of Scotland.

I know its not possible for all to give blood, but for those who can I can assure you that giving blood is a painless experience - you even get a free cup of tea and a choccie biscuit - and it's certainly worthwhile when you consider the benefits it brings to people lives, not least my own daughter Julia's, and I hope that this debate can go some way towards helping the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service's campaign.

Thank you.