Report shows rise in preventable errors during blood transfusion

New strategies are needed to reduce the level of error in the UK’s blood transfusion service, says the latest annual report by an independent haemovigilance scheme.1

The 16th annual SHOT (serious hazards of transfusion) report, covering January to December 2012, shows a rise in the number of reports of adverse events and reactions, with more than half the reports concerning preventable errors. The haemovigilance scheme covers 99.5% of NHS trusts and health boards in the United Kingdom. …