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Blood
Policy and guidance about blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the use of blood and blood products in the NHS, and bloodborne viruses including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
The CMO’s National Blood Transfusion Committee sub group on contingency planning prepared an integrated plan to address red cell shortages. The sub group has now developed an extension to the red cell plan that lists actions to be taken by both the National Blood Service (NBS) and hospitals in the event of a platelet shortage.
As part of the Arm’s Length Bodies review the National Blood Authority (NBA), which manages the National Blood Service, Bio Products Laboratory and the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, and UK Transplant (UKT) merged on 1 October 2005 to form a new organisation, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).
The most common serious viruses carried in people’s bloodstreams are hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is a major cause of strokes, coronary heart disease and other illnesses including kidney disease and aortic aneurysm.
Venous thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in a vein.Blood flow through the affected vein can be limited by the clot, causing swelling and pain. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism are the most common manifestations of venous thrombosis.
About 3000 haemophilia patients treated with blood products in the 1970s and early 1980s were infected with hepatitis C (HCV), and many with HIV. A number of MPs suggested that this might have been avoided had the UK achieved self-sufficiency in blood products, a policy the Government initiated in 1975. This report is the result of a review of surviving documents from 1973 (when a decision was made to pursue self-sufficiency for England and Wales) to 1991 (when a validated screening test for HCV was introduced in the UK).
Committees
Roll-out of recombinant clotting factors for all adult haemophilia patients in England
The Recombinant Clotting Factors Working Group advises the Department of Health on a strategy for the phased introduction of recombinant clotting factors for the treatment of adult haemophilia in England.
The National Blood Transfusion Committee
The overall objective of the National Blood Transfusion Committee and the Regional Transfusion Committees is to promote safe and effective good transfusion practice in hospitals in accordance with the Better Blood Transfusion initiative and the Health Service Circular.
Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation
Papers from Committee Meetings, Public Summaries, Minutes
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