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Recommendations to changes to the behavioural donor deferral criteria
In 2013, NZBS invited an external expert review group to undertake an independent review, with the principal task to review the ongoing appropriateness of exclusion of potential donors on the basis of current or past sexual behaviours, to ensure the ongoing safety of blood and blood products provided in New Zealand.
(This follows a review conducted in 2008 where NZBS accepted the recommendations of the independent review group at that time in full, and introduced new criteria in March 2009.)
The NZBS Board has reviewed the report and has accepted all of the recommendations. NZBS is confident that the recommendations are based on good clinical evidence and that the changes will have no impact on the safety of blood and blood products provided to New Zealanders.
Approval from Medsafe will be required before NZBS is able to implement the new criteria. NZBS anticipates that this will be achieved in time to support implementation of the changes in early 2015.
The final report from the review group can be found below.
Behavioural Donor Deferral Criteria review - Final Report (pdf, 888 KB)
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