Brits can donate blood in Australia after ‘mad cow disease’ ban is lifted

Since 2000, British people have been banned from doing one thing in Australia but this week saw that ban lifted – and the Brits are now doing it in force.

This week, after a 22-year ban, British people living in Australia can finally donate blood. This will mean that hundreds of thousands of Aussie lives will be saved.

I know the power of this more than most – my partner Luke is alive thanks to strangers who donated blood.

Luke and I had been dating two years and had just moved in together when he had a climbing accident that nearly killed him at just 25.

He’d been abseiling off a cliff with a friend when the anchor point failed and he plunged eight metres (over two storeys) to the rocky ground below.

His right wrist took most of the impact and shattered, then his pelvis hit the ground with such a force than he began losing a life-threatening amount of blood.

As well as the amazing work of a mountain rescue team and emergency doctors, donated blood is one of the main reasons that 13 years later he’s fully recovered and lives a normal life (albeit with a few very cool scars).

Luke was just 25 when he had a climbing accident that nearly killed him.

Riah and Luke today – he wouldn't be alive if it weren't for donated blood.

So when we moved from the UK to Australia over eight years ago, it was upsetting to discover that we were banned from donating blood. We weren’t able to do this small but precious thing that could save other people’s lives.

This blanket blood donation ban, implemented in December 2000, was for anyone who was in the UK for six months or more from 1980 to 1996.

It was over fears we could spread Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) or mad cow disease, a degenerative disease that spread in the UK after Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected meat was unwittingly sold there for years.

So, despite being vegetarian all my life, I was deemed too risky.

But finally, this week, that ban has been lifted. Lifeblood had recommended it to the Therapeutic Goods Administration after an in-depth risk assessment was carried out, they approved it. Lifeblood maintains that due to their candidate screening process Australia’s blood supply will remain one of the safest in the world.

British people can now donate blood in Australia even if they lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996. Picture: Denis Charlet/AFP

“It’s taken some time; however, we’re so pleased our comprehensive review of the evidence and our risk modelling has found this rule is no longer required … we’re thrilled to welcome these newly eligible donors to our centres around the nation,” said Cath Stone, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood executive director of donor services.

On Monday, the first load of Brits were able to roll up their sleeves.

It had been a long time coming for many of the 1 million Brits who call Australia home and the many Aussies who lived in the UK from 1980 to 1996. In fact, Lifeblood is expecting around 18,000 additional regular donors, which is crucial as blood supplies remain at critical levels over winter thanks to the NSW floods, Covid and the flu.

On Tuesday, I donated blood in Australia for the first time ever.

I got an appointment online straight away and did it on my way to work where they’d parked up a mobile unit at Moore Park in Sydney.

And it seems I wasn’t the only eager Brit – a warning in my email specifically said that they’re experiencing lots of new donors from the UK at the moment.

British people are racing to the donation centres to give blood.

As a first time donor I had to answer some questionnaires about my medical history and where I’d been on holiday recently but after that it was too easy. I donated half a litre of blood in seven minutes and 30 seconds.

They gave me a sticker, snacks and I had a nice sit down. It was so easy.

I’ll get a text when they use my blood and I’ll be able to do it again in three months. What an amazing thing to be able to do with very little effort!

Riah was able to donate blood for the first time on Tuesday.

There is also a push to allow gay and bisexual men and trans women donate as they’re currently banned from donating blood if they’ve had sex with a man within three months.

Lifeblood Director of Research, Dr David Irving, has previously said the “deferral period” had recently been reduced from 12 months to three months and Lifeblood is considering reducing that further or removing it.

The more Aussies that can safely donate blood, the more lives will be saved. And as someone who had the path of their life transformed by blood donation, for that I’m so grateful.

Book an appointment to donate blood at lifeblood.com.au.