Conservative MP David Burrowes is to present a Bill to Parliament for its second reading on Friday encouraging the collection of umbilical cord blood .
The Umbilical Cord Blood (Donation) Bill was first introduced by Mr Burrowes to Parliament in January. He said at the time that he wanted to the Bill to encourage parents and the wider public to be more informed about the value and benefits of umbilical cord blood, particularly for the treatment of diseases, and the use of cord blood stem cells for medical research into new treatments.
Mr Burrowes' constituency is adjacent to Barnet general hospital, one of only four NHS hospitals collecting umbilical cord blood in the country.
If passed, the Bill will require the Secretary of State to encourage pregnant women to donate their umbilical cord blood after birth, increase awareness of the value of umbilical cord blood for the treatment of diseases and for research of new treatment methods, and promote the collection of cord blood from designated groups where there is a history of disease that may be treatable using cord blood.
The Bill also proposes to issue guidance to doctors to make sure that pregnant women are made aware of information on the collection and storage of cord blood, and that the Secretary of State will publish targets for the number of cord blood samples donated at health service hospitals in specified calendar years.
Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells and has been used to treat more than 50 diseases, including a number of cancers. The stem cells can also be used in transplants, particular where a suitable bone marrow donor could not be located. Pro-life groups have come out in support of collecting cord blood, saying it provides an ethical alternative to medical research using stem cells extracted from embryos.
