Gay men are a step closer to regaining the right to give blood following a Government back down on the controversial homosexual donor ban.

But KU’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) society has dismissed the Department of Health’s proposed reduction to a five year ban. Instead it criticised the Government for using a policy review process as a reason to “give themselves a pat on the back.”

Karisa Lundberg, Women’s Officer and Co-President of KU LGBT, said: “This doesn’t change anything at all. Practically speaking, this is no progress for gay men because they would still have to wait five years to give blood.”

KU students have protested for years about the “homophobic” policy and this reached fever pitch earlier in the year when The River revealed a gay KU student lied to the National Blood Service about his sexuality to "do what he thought was right."

Miss Lundberg said the recent review would do little to change the attitude of some gay men towards compliance, such as those who practice safe sex and are regularly screened, and feels they will continue to defy the system.

She commented: “This will not change the behaviour of any gay man who wants to give blood.  Gay men who use condoms and are regularly tested see no reason why they shouldn’t donate.”

"It seems the Government are using this review to give themselves a pat on the back" - Karisa Lundberg

Gay rights campaigners have fought for years to have the ban reassessed and cautiously welcomed the news at the Government’s advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissue and Organs (SaBTO) public meeting on October 27.

Daf Adley, National LGBT Officer for NUS, said: “Our administration has been fighting for years to effect a change - we have brought a petition of 9000 LGBT students - but SaBTO seems unwilling to listen."

A spokeswoman for NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which coordinates the NBS, said: “SaBTO advises the Government about appropriate criteria for selecting blood donors with the aim of ensuring they are clear, appropriate and based on recent evidence. It is on this basis that the current policies followed by NHSBT are in place. NHSBT welcomes this review and awaits its outcome.”