The impact of improved safety on maintaining a sufficient blood supply

Abstract

The impact of improved safety on maintaining a sufficient blood supply is becoming an increasingly real issue facing the National Blood Service in England and North Wales. This paper shows the extent of the impact that safety measures can have on reducing collection levels, without making any value judgement on the safety criteria themselves. It demonstrates that underlying trends in collection are making it increasingly difficult to meet demand. Further potential restrictions, perhaps associated with variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD), will require a reassessment of the safety–sufficiency trade-off. The analysis strongly suggests that continual enhancement of safety criteria, for both individual donor and patient benefit, will lead to insufficient supply to meet current levels of hospital demand. New approaches are needed to effectively manage blood throughout the supply chain, thereby ensuring sufficient supply.