Transfusion Training Hub sections
Have you ever wondered whether you could give blood, who is eligible and what is the criteria is for donating? This section refers to donor recruitment, selection and safety as well as exploring the history of donation. Follow the journey of a blood donation from the donor to the patient.
What is the difference between blood components and products? How are they produced and safely administered to patients? This section provides information regarding the manufacturing, testing, storage and clinical use of each donation.
This section highlights best practice for managing blood stocks, reviewing data and monitoring trends to improve performance and reduce wastage, alongside the requirement for blood conservation and emergency planning for potential shortages.
Before a patient receives a transfusion there are many things to consider; is the transfusion appropriate, has the patient consented, are there any suitable alternatives and do the benefits outweigh the risks? The inclusion and management of ‘pre-transfusion essentials’ provide assurance to the patient that we are delivering a continuous safe, quality service.
Discover the reasons and rationale behind a range of laboratory techniques, how they accurately deliver blood grouping results, aid in the investigation and identification of clinically significant antibodies, and ultimately ensure the compatibility of blood components to patients. This section provides the learner with information to acquire a deeper understanding of blood transfusion serology.
Patient safety is fundamental, and every transfusion administered must be delivered safely and appropriately. Transfusion support often includes the use of specialised blood components. Discover how ‘special requirements’ are identified, managed and documented for various patient cohorts to ensure they receive maximum benefit from their transfusion.
Although blood transfusions save lives and improve clinical outcomes for patients, there is always an associated element of risk involved. Haemovigilance is the systematic surveillance of adverse reactions and events related to transfusion where the aim is to learn from such occurrences to improve transfusion safety. Discover how to avoid or reduce the risks and how to manage a serious adverse reaction or event appropriately.
Blood establishments (transfusion centres) and laboratories are overseen by several regulatory agencies and organisations to ensure the continual provision of a safe quality product as well as delivering the highest level of care to patients. Discover more about the requirements imposed upon these services and how they are put into everyday practice. Explore the standards that must be achieved to receive accreditation status as well as maintaining a fully competent workforce.
This section provides links to academic courses and qualifications as well as further supportive educational tools and training to help individuals develop further skills or obtain qualifications required to progress in their career.
Levels for learning guide
Foundation Level
Foundation Level
This level delivers introductory content for individuals wishing to build a basic underpinning knowledge of transfusion science as well as providing a baseline for further development. It may be suitable for healthcare professionals wishing to begin a career within Transfusion or a newly qualified Biomedical Scientist for example.
Intermediate Level
Intermediate Level
Next step up from foundation level, intermediate level explores each topic in more detail. This level may be suitable for healthcare professionals already working within Transfusion who require greater knowledge of a subject applicable to their role and to maintain competence. It may also be suitable for individuals wishing to progress and/or obtain further qualifications.
In-depth Level
In-depth Level
More advanced than intermediate level, the learner will have a comprehensive understanding of transfusion science. Only one level away from the ‘expert level’ the content referred to will be more challenging and detailed, suitable for any healthcare professional wishing to solidify their knowledge and progress in their career.
Expert Level
Expert Level
Designed for very experienced healthcare professionals working within transfusion, this level delivers highly detailed and complex transfusion science content with an aim to support individuals progressing professionally within their career and for those wishing to obtain a higher level of expertise.