To improve the surface blood compatibility on a cellulose hemodialysis membrane, a blood compatible polymer with a phospholipid polar group, poly[2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine(MPC)], was immobilized on the surface through the coating of a water-soluble cellulose grafted with poly(MPC) (MPC-grafted cellulose, MGC). The MGC was synthesized by graft copolymerization of MPC on a water-soluble cellulose using cerium ion as an initiator. The coating process on the cellulose membrane with an aqueous solution of the MGC was convenient, and the MGC on the surface was not significantly detached even after immersion in water. The permeability and mechanical strength of the membrane coated with the MGC did not decrease compared with the original membranes. The MGC-coated cellulose membrane was blood compatible, as determined by the prevention of platelet adhesion and aggregation after contact with platelet-rich plasma. From these results, it is concluded that the MGC may be a useful material for improving the blood compatibility of the cellulose hemodialysis membrane.