Transfusion Information for Patients
Hello, welcome to your blood transfusion information pages.
These pages have been produced by transfusion professionals from across the UK.
Your consent for a blood transfusion is required in both routine and emergency situations, however how your consent is obtained may differ dependent on the situation.
For a planned blood transfusion, a healthcare professional will have the opportunity to discuss the need for a blood transfusion with you. They will explain why it is recommended, discuss potential benefits and risks, highlight any possible alternatives and address any questions or concerns you might have. You will be given time to consider the information and provide your consent in advance.
In emergency situations, where a blood transfusion is required immediately, it may not be possible to obtain your consent before the transfusion. If this happens, a healthcare professional will talk to you about what happened, including the reason for the blood transfusion as soon as they can afterwards. If this happens, they will also provide you with information about the procedure, it’s benefits and any potential risks. They will also address any questions or concerns you may have at the time.
The links below will take you to resources which contain the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not to consent to a blood transfusion (click on the image or adjoining text):
For Receiving a Blood Transfusion text that is compatible with screen reader software, click here now.
Printed versions of this leaflet, and other patient information leaflets about transfusion, are available from your blood service via the links below:
We encourage you to discuss your transfusion treatment further with your healthcare team. For example, you might want to ask:
- Should I do anything special to prepare for my transfusion?
- Is there anything I should do afterwards?
- How long will my appointment take? Should I bring anything with me?
- I have regular transfusions. Is there anything in particular I need to know?
The Serious Hazards Of Transfusion (SHOT) scheme also have a patient information page that you might want to visit for some further resources and blood transfusion safety messages: Patient Information (shot.org)
Please see below contact details if you have any difficulties accessing these resources or have further queries.
England: PBM.Team@nhsbt.nhs.uk
Scotland: nss.snbtstransfusionteam@nhs.scot
Wales: WBS.BloodHealthTeam@wales.nhs.uk
Northern Ireland: medicalsupport@nibts.hscni.net