Prison donor ban 'discrimination'

The NBS said logistics for collecting blood would be too complex

The National Blood Service (NBS) has been accused of "succumbing to an outdated stereotype" by not allowing prisoners to give blood.

The NBS says it does not collect donations as many inmates would not meet criteria because of their links with substance abuse and tattoos.

But letters to prison paper Inside Time called this policy "discrimination".

"Just because we lost our liberty does not make our blood different," one inmate wrote.

Anyone with links to substance abuse, tattoos and body-piercing, and prostitution is not allowed to give blood and the NBS said it felt it was likely that many prisoners would fall into this ineligible category.

Prisoners in Scotland were allowed to donate blood until 1984, when it emerged some people who had received transfusions from inmates had died from Aids and hepatitis C.

God forbid that a prisoner would wish to do something decent and contribute to a better society Matthew Bailey, prisoner

But Matt Bayle from Gloucester prison said he was "astonished" by the rule.

"Not only has it adhered to an archaic rash generalisation of the prison population, but in my opinion some elements border on discrimination.

"I find it astonishing that an establishment based on sound medical and scientific knowledge could succumb to such an outdated stereotype."

Matthew Bailey from Wakefield jail said: "I believe it is more the British ethos that prisoners must be demonised at every given opportunity that underlies the excuses made by the NBS.

"God forbid that a prisoner would wish to do something decent and contribute to a better society.

"It is this desire by the British public to stigmatise prisoners that could potentially deny someone much needed and accessible blood."

But a spokesman for the NBS defended their decision: "All blood donors have to meet strict criteria about whether they are able to donate blood to safeguard both donor and patient safety.

"As such the National Blood Service does not collect blood from prisons as it is likely that, due to these donor selection guidelines, we would only be able to collect a very limited number of donations.

"In addition, the logistics for collecting blood at prisons would be very complex and prohibitive."