Epidemiology Unit: annual review

Our latest annual review is Safe Supplies 2023: Close monitoring of blood donations (PDF 6.9 MB).

Download supplementary material below:


Please cite as: Safe Supplies 2023: Close monitoring of blood donations. Annual Review from the NHS Blood and Transplant and UK Health Security Agency Epidemiology Unit. London August 2024. Available at https://hospital.blood.co.uk/diagnostic-services/microbiology-services/epidemiology/annual-review

Key highlights

Key highlights from this review include:

  • Blood donations: approximately 950,000 people donated blood in the UK, with 46% being men. There were 140,000 first-time donors, including 8% Asian heritage and 4% Black heritage individuals.

  • Infections: nearly 1.8 million donations were screened, identifying 429 HEV cases and 287 infections (HIV, HCV, HBV, HTLV, syphilis), mostly from first-time, male, and White donors. There were very low numbers of recent infections among donors, and the chance a recent HIV, HCV, or HBV infection was not detected remained less than 1 in 1 million donations tested.

  • Hepatitis B core antibody screening: since April 2022, anti-HBc screening has enhanced safety, detecting 14 additional occult hepatitis B infections in 2023 that pooled HBV NAT alone would not have detected.

  • FAIR policy monitoring: the FAIR policy showed low numbers of recent HIV, HCV, and HBV infections with no viral transmissions. Research continues to improve donor disclosure and monitor donor selection processes.

  • Horizon scanning: the Epidemiology Unit’s horizon scanning led to JPAC actions addressing the global spread of arboviruses, including dengue and West Nile virus, in Europe.

  • Transfusion-transmitted infections: in 2023, 140 suspected transfusion-transmitted infections were investigated, leading to confirmed cases of malaria and hepatitis A, and probable HEV and HBV transmissions.

  • Progress over 27 years: significant advancements in blood donation screening and infection prevention have reduced the risk of undetected infections entering the blood supply.

For more information about blood donation safety, including adverse events and reactions that have been reported, access annual reports on the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) website.

Annual review archive