The 2025 Undergraduate Medical Degree Transfusion Medicine Survey was developed in collaboration with the T2024 Education Working Group, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) Patient Blood Management Consultants, and the UK and Ireland Blood Transfusion Network (UK&I BTN). It was approved by and distributed to all UK medical schools via the Medical Schools Council’s Education Leadership Advisory Group (ELAG). The survey was open for responses between January and February 2025.
The aim of the survey was to identify where to focus resources to improve our future doctors’ transfusion knowledge and allow us to share good practice. This survey is a key step in supporting delivery of the highest standards of medical education and patient care in response to the lessons learnt from the Inquiry. The survey content is based on the standards agreed for non-medical authorisers (NMA) of blood as detailed in the Framework to Support NMA Healthcare Professionals 2022
The survey will provide information to ensure that NHSBT and NBTC support IBI recommendation “Those bodies concerned with undergraduate and postgraduate training across the UK of those people who are, or intend to be, working in the NHS ensure that they are adequately trained in transfusion”.
Ensuring that future generations of doctors receive robust training in transfusion medicine is essential for preventing future incidents and improving patient outcomes. The initial findings and recommendations from the survey will be reviewed, agreed upon, and published by the end of summer 2025.