The NHS has collected over 758,000 litres of British plasma since the ban on its use was lifted in 2021, with the positive effects of this reverberating around South London, writes Romilly Schulte…
The blood component is used to produce immunoglobulins, which treat autoimmune conditions, and albumin, which is used in surgery, trauma care and to treat liver conditions; it is separated from donated blood as well as collected from specialist plasma donations.
In 2025, 3,286 patients received treatment from plasma donated in the UK following the lifting of a 1998 ban on using a domestically-collected store, after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed that plasma collection was safe.
Sixty-three-year-old Niall Whatley from Brixton, who was diagnosed with the immune condition multiple sclerosis in 2011, relies on monthly infusions of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) at King’s College Hospital to keep well and out of hospital after a stem cell transplant failed to stabilise his immune system.
He said: “The plasma-derived medicines are a lifesaver for me and many other patients. If your immune system goes right down to where your body can’t fight off any infections, then you’re in a world of problems. If you’re lucky, you’ll survive – and if you’re not lucky, you don’t.
“If I didn’t have the IVIG infusions every month, I would be in and out of hospital constantly – or probably even a lot worse than that.
“Anyone that donates plasma – I want them to know that they are donating a blood component that is literally saving people’s lives,” he said, adding: “you are literally helping to keep us alive through the IVIG infusions we receive.”
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a medicine which is derived from plasma, which makes up 55% of blood and carries white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, meaning it is a vital ingredient in life-saving medicines for patients with immune deficiencies and rare diseases.
King’s College Hospital has recognised how the collection of UK plasma has had a positive impact on their quality of care, due to its use in their specialist bone marrow and liver transplant centres.
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Professor Roopen Aryam, the clinical director for haematological medicine at King’s College Hospital, said: “King’s is one of the busiest NHS Trusts in terms of treating patients with plasma-derived medicines, and the past 12 months mark a real milestone in our care of vulnerable people with immune disorders
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone across England who has donated their plasma over this incredible first year: you have helped us save lives.”
He added:”Kings is a major referral centre for haematology; we are a particularly large user and have a particularly large need for these kinds of medicines.”
The proteins in plasma make antibodies, which are necessary to the immune system to prevent and fight off infections, which means medicines made out of the substance helps to support those with weakened immune systems, such as patients with chronic leukaemia, or those who have undergone bone marrow transplants.
Around 17,000 NHS patients rely on plasma-derived treatment, although the UK currently imports 77% of its immunoglobulin medication from abroad, but the NHS is aiming to reach 30-35% self-sufficiency.
Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply at NHS Blood and Transplant said: “at 23% self-sufficiency for immunoglobulin, we have come along way, but we still have a long way to go.”
The patients who rely on these medicines – people with immune deficiencies, autoimmune conditions, and other life-limiting illnesses – cannot afford gaps in supply. If imports are disrupted and our domestic supply is not sufficient to meet demand, patients have to go without the treatments they need,” he added.
Prof Aryam suggested that for the kind of large-scale collection required to build up a secure domestic supply of the medicines, we would need to see more plasma-specific donations at the three specialist plasma donation centres, which are located in Twickenham, Reading and Birmingham.
Prof Aryam said: “It is a very unstable world that we are currently witnessing where a lot of plasma-derived medicines are from the US. It’s important that we are self-reliant in the production of these medicines, which a small number of patients cannot live without.”
To find out more about donating blood, visit www.blood.co.uk, download the NHS Give Blood app or call 0300 123 23 23.
