Events on 28 September 2023

I wish to offer a practical guide to working with the Human Tissue Authority.



I will provide examples of what to do and how to do it when issues arise



I will take you through the paperwork involved

I will describe how best to approach HTA reportable incidents

I will take you through how to prepare for the HTA inspection

This will be a very hands on guide and strongly welcome participation from the audience.

Quality in IT Procurement

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) Patient Blood Management (PBM) team, with the support of the London Regional Transfusion Committee, created a remote, no-cost education group for biomedical scientists aimed at providing ongoing professional development for transfusion laboratory professionals. The popularity of the group led to the continuation of the group beyond the pandemic and membership being opened to all healthcare professionals interested in blood transfusion.

The group convenes monthly and invites professional/industry experts to deliver lectures on specialist areas of blood transfusion, followed by discussion. The curriculum is flexible and responsive to feedback, incorporating key recommendations, such as those found in the annual SHOT report. The group has covered a wide range of topics, including antibody identification, appropriate use of blood components, haemoglobinopathies, advances in information technology, inventory management, gender reassignment, provision of rare blood, transfusion delays, and emergency preparedness, among others.

Over 2800 healthcare professionals worldwide have joined the group, with an average attendance of 165 individuals per meeting. Survey results from 1390 delegates between April 2022 and April 2023 demonstrated high evaluation of the education provided during the sessions, with an average rating of 4.72 out of 5 for information quality and 4.58 out of 5 for information relevance to their day-to-day work. Furthermore, 99.1% of all respondents believed that the education enabled them to offer a better service to patients and service users.

The NHSBT PBM team's remote and accessible model has been successful in providing ongoing education and continuing professional development for blood transfusion professionals beyond the pandemic. This cost-effective model has become a regular feature in hospital transfusion continuing professional development, enhancing individual and service performance, and could be a valuable consideration for other healthcare disciplines.

There are many job roles and opportunities available to biomedical scientists outside of the laboratory, but what does a biomedical scientist do working within the Blood Stocks Management Team?

Learn about a different role, the transferable skills that are required and how this role is different from working in a laboratory environment. Why is this role important to Blood Transfusion laboratories and is it beneficial having a biomedical scientist as part of the team?

Crossroads to a Compatible Career: From Pipette to Patient Blood Management

An overview of Red Cell Immunohaematology (RCI), the services offered and how we fit in within the wider healthcare system.

Example cases starting with single specificity through to complex antibody identification using a variety of techniques. Discussing the need for consultant input when serology cannot be resolved and what happens next.

We will briefly cover duties beyond serology performed as a biomedical scientist and how these fit in nationally as well as locally.

Finishing on the progression routes through RCI, NHSBT and the wider transfusion community.

Transfusion outside the NHS – jobs for Biomedical Scientists

Meet the Examiner Session

The Air Ambulance covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland first approached Blood Transfusion in February 2021 to discuss the idea of them being able to carry blood on the aircraft so they can carry out lifesaving transfusions at the roadside. In the previous months the medics on board had been documenting those patients they had attended that they thought would have benefited from being transfused at the scene of an injury.

The majority of these were road traffic accidents and stabbings where blood loss had led to severe morbidity or even mortality. After months of meetings discussing what equipment was needed (e.g. blood boxes, temperature monitoring devices, storage etc.), finances, validation procedures and trialling the process we finally started providing blood on board in February 2022.

The lecture will include a basic introduction to a busy mixed urban and rural Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in the East of England and the logistics of carrying and administering blood products to multiply injured, major trauma patients. The types of patients that typically require a transfusion will be presented and we will hear from patients that have since recovered and how they feel about having received a prehospital transfusion.