Monitoring the frequency of infections that NHS Blood and Transport (NHSBT) finds when it tests blood donations and collecting information about how the donors probably became infected. These data are updated and reported through the HPA's website every 6 months.

Using data collected by the UK Blood Services and by the HPA to estimate the risk of blood infected with HIV being given to patients, and looking at the likely effect of different exclusion criteria on this risk. The Blood Service tests all blood donations for HIV and this risk is currently very small, however it is important to keep this risk small, and to reduce it further if possible. The next update of these analyses (previously published in 2003) is due by January 2009, for publication by June 2009.

Trying to determine which groups in the population (i.e. groups of potential donors) are most likely to have sexually transmitted infections that might harm blood recipients. This project is due to report its findings by June 2009.

Some studies of the sexual behaviours of people who give blood, and of how well people (especially MSM) comply with the UK Blood Service's rules about who should not give blood, and what people think about these rules. Some of these studies are being analysed now (early 2009), some will not be finished until Summer 2010