Supplementary learning

Transfusion Training Hub

The hub supports education and training for all healthcare professionals working within blood transfusion and for anyone wishing to increase their transfusion knowledge. It provides links to existing resources all in one handy place.

Go to the hub

Blood centre tour

The tour is now online and gives you the opportunity to explore the different departments involved in the donor to door journey as well as some of the reference and specialist departments.

You'll gain an understanding of the purpose of blood collection, the processing, testing and distribution of blood and blood components, and see selected areas which illustrate the working practices of different laboratories and departments.

You'll learn:

• How NHSBT sustains the blood supply chain
• The methods used during blood donation, component preparation, testing and distribution of donated blood
• The relationship between ‘patient facing’ and ‘donor facing’ departments and how they support NHSBT activities

Take the tour

If you still want to have a site tour after watching the video, please email ScientificandClinicalTrai@nhsbt.nhs.uk

Bloody history of transfusion

This animated timeline of a history of transfusion takes you through the key points in history from 200 BE to 2005 when NHSBT was formed. 

Explore by clicking on a year on the timeline to understand why that year is significant in the history of blood transfusion. 

You'll learn:

• What Roman gladiators used blood for
• When the first blood transfusion occurred
• When the ABO blood groups were discovered
• How it was found possible to store blood
• When the transfusion service was established

The strange case of Penny Allison

This training video illustrates how errors in transfusion may occur and the range of staff involved in the transfusion process, with Hugh Laurie and Imelda Staunton.