‘It is an accepted principle that a patient should give valid consent before receiving medical treatment, and this includes when they receive a transfusion of blood and blood components (such as fresh frozen plasma and platelets)’ (SaBTO, 2020).
SaBTO, the UK Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs, first made recommendations on Patient Consent for Blood Transfusion in 2011, and these were revised and reaffirmed in 2020. For more information click here.
In response to the latest 2020 recommendations, resources have been developed by the UK and Ireland Blood Transfusion Network which can be accessed on the transfusion guidelines website:
- Transfusion Information for Patients click here
- Guidance for Healthcare Practitioners in the UK click here
The All Wales Transfusion Record has a specific section relating to consent to transfusion and covering the key elements of the SaBTO recommendations click here.
An electronic copy of ‘Receiving a Blood Transfusion’ patient information leaflet can be found here. Contact your hospital transfusion team for information on how to access printed copies of this.