First NHS patient receives life-saving treatments from home-grown blood plasma at JR

The first NHS patients in a generation have started to receive life-saving plasma from the blood of UK donors, thanks to a partnership between NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS England. 

Since a longstanding ban on UK plasma was lifted in 2021, the UK has been building its own supply of plasma medicines amid a global shortage. This will reduce reliance on imports, saving the NHS up to £10 million per year and strengthening the UK as a powerhouse for life sciences under the government's Plan for Change.

Around 17,000 NHS patients with immune deficiencies and rare diseases rely on vital human-donated plasma to save or improve their lives. It is also used in emergency medicine for childbirth and trauma care. 

Jill Jones from Oxford, the first patient to receive UK-sourced plasma medicine, said:

"Coming to the Immunology ward is like catching up with friends. The staff are delightful and you get to know staff and patients really well. You have a cup of coffee and chat. Today I was talking about knitting and kittens as I was being infused!

"Infusions have been life-changing for me in keeping me well. Before I started on them, I was regularly in hospital with infections – which just doesn’t happen now. It's made a huge and positive difference to my life and my family's life.

"I felt really privileged today to be the first patient in the UK to be receiving Immunoglobin that was made from UK plasma for the first time in a very long time."

Jill Jones made history by becoming the first patient to be given UK-sourced plasma at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She has received treatments every three weeks following a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 20 years ago, and described the infusions as "life-changing". 

Dr Siraj Misbah, Consultant Immunologist at Oxford University Hospitals and National Clinical Director, Blood and Infection Programme of Care, NHS England said:

“The launch of immunoglobulin made exclusively from British plasma donors (Gamten) is a momentous day for the NHS. For the thousands of patients with immune deficiencies and autoimmune disease who rely on immunoglobulin, Gamten will go a long way in improving the resilience of immunoglobulin supplies in the UK and minimise reliance on imported immunoglobulins, an important consideration given the volatility of world supplies."

You can read more in the full press release on the GOV.UK website:

NHS patients receive first home-grown blood plasma treatments - GOV.UK