Remit
The overall objective of the Regional Transfusion Committees (RTCs) is to support the activities of Hospital Transfusion Committees, thus enabling the National Blood Transfusion Committee to achieve its aims.
Specific objectives include: -
- To provide timely communication from the National Blood Transfusion Committee (NBTC) to local Trusts
- To create a programme of activities in line with the objectives agreed by the NBTC. The activities are likely to include:
- Workshops on specific topics to identify examples of good practice within local Trusts
- Creation of project groups to aid implementation of identified good practice in participating neighbouring Trusts
- Regional Audit
- To initiate and oversee a regional workplan of projects and activities
to meet locally agreed priorities and the priorities of the NBTC - To organise educational meetings on at least an annual basis
- To identify outlying Trust performance in external quality assessment
and benchmarking schemes and those with difficulties meeting
accreditation requirements - To promote best practice in blood stock management
- To act as a resource for Hospital Transfusion Teams (HTTs) in Trusts
with outlying performance in transfusion practice - To report regularly on the output of the RTC to the NBTC
- To raise documented specific NHSBT performance issues at a
national level.
Scope
The RTCs should be aligned to the boundaries of the 7 NHS regions and associated Integrated Care Boards: North East and Yorkshire, North West, East of England, London, Midlands, South East and South West.
Membership
Each RTC will comprise: -
- Representatives from all Hospital Transfusion Committees (including
private hospitals) in the relevant area, usually to include the HTC Chair,
Transfusion Lab Manager (TLM) and Transfusion Practitioner (TP) - 3 NHSBT representatives to include the RTC administrator who will act as
the Secretary of the Committee, a PBM Practitioner and an NHSBT
Consultant - 1 Patient representative
Working Arrangements
The RTCs will be accountable to the NBTC.
The Chair of the RTC will be elected by the current members of each RTC. Nominations for RTC Chairs must be approved by the NBTC Executive Working Group (EWG) prior to election. The Chair will be a professionally qualified healthcare worker but may be a person who is not currently an RTC member.
The Chair will serve a term of 3 years renewable by RTC election (and subject to NBTC EWG approval) thereafter on a 3-year cycle. The RTC Chair will represent the RTC on the NBTC. The RTC Chair may appoint a deputy from the RTC membership who may be someone without prescribing rights for blood, and therefore can be a clinician or biomedical scientist.
There will be at least 2 meetings of each RTC each year.
The RTCs should maintain good lines of communication with Chairs of Hospital Transfusion Committees and the regional Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).
Each RTC should establish a Regional Transfusion Team (RTT) to ensure that the momentum of the Committee’s activities is maintained between full Committee meetings. The term of hospital members will be 3 years renewable thereafter on a 3-year lifecycle.
The Regional Transfusion Team should organise educational meetings for representatives of Hospital Transfusion Committees.
Each RTC should decide on attendance and tenure of membership of the Regional Transfusion Team and Regional Working Groups.
Administration support for the Committees and Regional Transfusion Teams will be provided by NHSBT.
NHSBT will reimburse travelling expenses, according to an agreed formula, of members attending meetings of the Regional Transfusion Committee.
Each RTC should have a workplan detailing its planned activities over the financial year. The RTCs will provide reports of their activities to the NBTC and a written structured report one month in advance of each meeting.
The NBTC Deputy Chair will attend the NBTC Executive Working Group meetings, with the additional attendance of another rotating RTC Chair to represent all the RTCs.
Outcome Measures
Providing data on the transfusion practice of Trusts in the Region.
Monitoring and recording transfusion audit on a regional basis.
Demonstrating regional education in good transfusion practice.
Reporting on performance monitoring of the transfusion-related services provided by NHSBT.
Providing information on patients’ experiences about the provision of transfusion services.