|
|
|
|
 |
| New rules for cord blood collection - 04/30/2008 |
Collection of cord blood at birth will be regulated for the first time in the UK under new rules announced today to ensure safety and traceability. The trend of collecting cord blood in public or private banks for potential medical applications, including the treatment of leukaemia, has grown more popular in recent years. The new rules, announced today, will mean that from 5 July 2008 cord blood can only be collected by people with specialist training and on premises that meet essential standards.
All maternity units that collect cord blood will need to act under a Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licence that will ensure:
Staff have training in collecting cord blood, raising standards and making sure that best possible quality of sample is taken.
Procedures which will help prevent any medical attention being drawn away from mother or child during collection.
A system is in place to make sure that the cord blood cells are traceable from collection to their use in treatments.
Adrian McNeil, Chief Executive of the HTA, said:
“We are introducing this regulation to make sure that the best quality samples are taken in the safest way. We have heard that fathers, who of course have no experience in collecting cord blood, may be involved in this procedure. The worry is that if inexperienced people are involved, this will not be done at the right time and in the right way. The result is that the best samples may not be collected. It is also important for the midwife to be allowed to concentrate on the welfare of the mother and child.
“The Human Tissue Authority is one of the frontrunners in Europe for implementing this legislation, which puts patients’ safety at the heart of the process. The regulation has been applied after significant consultation with those working in the field and we are confident that the sector will see a licence as a ‘badge of honour’.”
Professor Peter Braude, Chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ expert committee on Umbilical Stem Cell Banking and former Chair of the scientific advisory committee, said:
“We are pleased that procurement of umbilical cells now will be regulated by the HTA in the pursuit of quality. There is clear evidence from the NHS Cord Blood Bank that collection conditions can influence the likelihood of stem cells being obtained from the umbilical cord blood samples collected.” |
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|