Media contributions
1Media contributions
Title GPs to play leading role in new blood donation rules Degree of recognition National Media name/outlet NewsGP Media type Web Country/Territory Australia Date 4/08/25 Description New eligibility criteria allows patients who have fully recovered from cancer to donate blood, but they will need a letter from their doctor...
Professor Mark Morgan, Chair of the RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care, welcomed the change, but acknowledged the new responsibility being placed on doctors.
‘It is good to see some flexibility for people fully recovered from cancer to donate blood and plasma,’ he told newsGP.
‘There is always a shortage of donors so opening up the opportunity to donate to more people will help.
‘[It does] put some onus on doctors to provide written information about the safety of the donor.’...
Professor Morgan said it should provide reassurance that the safety of the proposal has been reviewed and approved by the TGA.
‘It is important to understand that cancers are not transmitted through donated blood,’ he said.
‘The Australian Red Cross continues to screen all donors and donations for infections that could be transmitted through blood. This includes screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) and syphilis. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is also tested, but for most recipients the presence of CMV is not a problem.’Producer/Author Anastasia Tsirtsakis URL https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/gps-to-play-leading-role-in-new-blood-donation-rul Persons Mark Morgan