Virgin Health Bank promises fail to live up to expectations

In 2007 Sir Richard Branson launched Virgin Health Bank, a company that lets families bank and store stem cells from their child’s umbilical cord, and is based out of Qatar.

At the time, Sir Richard said its service was unique because it would offer a charitable element, allowing the NHS to use some of stem cells the company stores. Its website emphasised this service stating that ‘stem cells from our cord blood bank have been used for transplantation by Doctors in the UK’s National Health Service.’ However, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found that the NHS has accessed Virgin Stem Cells only once since Sir Richard’s announcement over four years ago.

According to the Department of Health, Virgin Health Bank is not on its list of providers. It told the Bureau that ‘NHS Cord Blood Bank collects cord blood stem cells from five collection sites – Barnet General, Northwick Park, Luton and Dunstable, Watford General Hospitals and St George’s Tooting.’

The Human Tissue Authority – which has given Virgin Health Bank a license to run a stem cell service – also told the Bureau: ‘we are not involved in coordinating the use of the [Virgin Health Bank] cells or who can access them.’

To read the full story as reported by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, please click here