Until 2016, there was a blanket ban on men who have had sex with other men donating blood in Northern Ireland.

The lifetime ban was reduced to a “one-year deferral” in 2016 following an unsuccessful legal challenge.

Health minister Robin Swann announced last December that the law would be further relaxed to allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood if they have just one male sexual partner who has been their partner for more than three months.

The change was originally due to take effect from June 2021 but was delayed due to a lack of staff and training resources, the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS) said.

The new rules, which mirror changes already implemented in other parts of the UK, will now come into force from Monday 16 August 2021.