Contingency Planning and Blood Shortage Emergency Planning
For Hospital Use Only
The following information on emergency planning and the management of blood shortages has been issued to hospitals.
- A Plan for NHS Blood and Transplant and hospitals to address red cell shortages (PDF)
- A Plan for NHS Blood and Transplant and hospitals to address platelet shortages (PDF)
- The appropriate use of group O RhD negative red cells (PDF)
A summary of the CMO's National Blood Transfusion Committee Emergency Planning Working Group Recommendations for Hospital Transfusion Services following July 2005 London bombings is available on http://www.transfusionguidelines.org.uk Erratum: amendment to recommendations (pdf)
Department of Health website
Provides health and social care policy, guidance and publications.
Urgent Communication
In an emergency situation urgent communication to NHSBT customers regarding products and services, including reagents and non clinical products, will be posted on the Urgent Communication page and will be updated as the situation changes.
Emergency Planning
Information on the management of blood shortages which has been issued to hospitals.
Reprovision Centres
Request for an Emergency Delivery
NHSBT makes emergency deliveries using blue lights and sirens for products requested in response to clinical emergencies. Please ensure that the situation warrants these actions.
Contingency Hospital Service (Issue) Numbers
These numbers are independent of the NHSBT phone system and should only be used if you experience problems contacting hospital service departments using the usual contact numbers.
NHSBT Bank Holiday Arrangements
Stock management of the platelets over bank holidays is challenging because we need to build stock when donors are available, to carry us through periods when collection is reduced. This is most challenging with platelets due to the short shelf life.
To manage and maintain stocks effectively, we need to ensure that older stock is used ahead of fresher stock to avoid units expiring and creating pressures later.
Requests for stock platelets may not be met with the most recently collected units. This helps us to conserve these more recently collected units to ensure supply is maintained.