Additional resources for transfusion

Guidelines and information on transfusion lab practice

The 'Red Book’ has guidelines for all materials and is produced by the UK's Blood Transfusion Services for both therapeutic and diagnostic use.

The 'Red Book' is composed by experts from the Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC).

You can explore the ‘Red Book’ on the JPAC website.

• More information on Blood Safety and Quality Regulations (BQSR) is available on the JPAC website
• More information on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulation of blood is available on the gov.uk website
• More information on the MHRA electronic issue of blood components is available on the gov.uk website
• More information on the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation of medical laboratories is available on the UKAS website

Blood transfusion and transfusion management

General

• Download the Transfusion Handbook from the JPAC website
• British Society of Haematology (BSH) guidelines are available from the BSH website
• A range of blood transfusion guidelines are available from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) website

Antenatal guidelines

• Read our guidance for pregnant women with red cell antibodies (PDF, 1.2MB)
• More information on routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis for women who are rhesus D negative is available on the NICE website

Surgery

The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland (AAGBI) offers advice on the transfusion of blood components and their alternatives.

Read the guidelines on the AAGBI website.

Adverse events of transfusion

You can find out more about the Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) on the SHOT website.