NHS Patients in Surrey Now Receiving Life-Saving Plasma Medicine

Published on: 22 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 25 Mar, 2025

More donors are urgently needed, says the NHS. (Picture based on Cambridge Centre image)

By Stella Kuchanny

For the first time in 25 years, NHS patients in the UK are receiving life-saving medicine made from the plasma of blood donors in Surrey. This milestone reduces the NHS’s reliance on imported plasma medicines and bolsters the UK’s self-sufficiency in treating immune-related illnesses.

Plasma, which makes up 55 percent of human blood, is rich in antibodies that help stabilize or strengthen the immune system.

These antibodies are extracted and used to create immunoglobulin and other essential medicines that treat people with life-limiting conditions such as immune deficiencies. Over the past three years, plasma donations from Surrey and across England have been collected and processed into these critical treatments.

The significance of this development is evident in the numbers. More than 600 people in Surrey and Sussex rely on immunoglobulin each year. At the Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust alone, 68 patients received immunoglobulin in the last reported year, while Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust treated 204 patients. Nationwide, around 17,000 people depend on immunoglobulin annually, and thousands more require albumin—a plasma-based medicine used in childbirth, trauma, and liver conditions.

The Patients Behind the Medicine

Helen Blakeley, 54, from Haslemere, is one of the many individuals whose life depends on immunoglobulin. Diagnosed with Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) in 2022, her body lacks the ability to produce adequate antibodies, leaving her vulnerable to infections. Thanks to plasma-derived immunoglobulin, she can now self-administer weekly home infusions that give her the protection she needs.

“I know first hand how important these medicines are,” Helen says. “It’s a relief to know we’re now making it from local blood donations too.”

Joe Keary, a patient at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital receiving plasma

Similarly, Janice Evans, 71, from Leatherhead, received plasma medicine after developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left her temporarily paralysed from the waist down. She spent six weeks in St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, where immunoglobulin treatments played a crucial role in her recovery.

“It was absolutely frightening,” Janice recalls. “The treatment helped me make a full recovery. It took me a year to get over it, but I am fine now.”

A Call for More Donors

With a global shortage of plasma medicines, this new domestic supply is a game-changer. In the past, the NHS had to rely on imports due to restrictions stemming from Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD). Now, donations from Surrey blood donors contribute directly to saving lives within the UK.

Daniel Cooper, NHS Blood and Transplant’s Assistant Director for Blood Donation Operations, praised the efforts of blood donors and emphasised the need for more. “Thanks to our amazing donors, patients are now receiving plasma medicines made from donations taken in England for the first time in a quarter of a century. We need more blood donors to help make more of these medicines and build UK self-sufficiency.”

Plasma donations can be made in two ways. When individuals give blood in Surrey, their plasma may be used as well. Alternatively, they can donate plasma directly at specialized donor centres in Reading, London and Birmingham. A typical blood donation provides about 270 millilitres of plasma, while a dedicated plasma donation can yield between 560 and 700 millilitres.

Dr Susan Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of Immunodeficiency UK, highlighted the importance of plasma donations, stating: “This is a historic moment. Immunoglobulin is a vital treatment for people with immune disorders, and Surrey donors are now directly helping vulnerable patients.”

The NHS continues to encourage more people to donate blood and plasma to ensure a steady supply of these essential medicines. To find out how to become a donor, visit www.blood.co.uk.

If you have a story to share about blood or plasma donation, get in touch with The Dragon—we’d love to hear from you!