In recent years the risks to patients arising from a deficiency in the blood component itself have been greatly reduced. This success has resulted from a huge investment of resources in the improved screening of donor testing and improved processing of donated blood. It has also resulted in the introduction of the Directive 2002/98 EC and its supporting Directives.

However, haemovigilance studies have shown that there remain significant risks to patients resulting from failures in the transfusion process (the therapeutic use of blood components).  These risks arise from failures in the transfusion of the right blood to the right patient at the right time and in the right condition as well as transfusions that are not given according to sound clinical indications and appropriate guidelines.

In addition, the more rigorous testing of potential donors introduced in recent years for safety reasons has both reduced the supply and increased the cost of blood, resulting in a high cost to the health care system of failing to adopt optimum use.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) have been successful in securing funding from the 2006 EU Public Health programme for a 3 year project promoting optimal use of blood.  The project will be lead by SNBTS and in collaboration with carefuly selected partners which are a representative population of the difference in blood use in the EU.  

Delegates at the Inaugural Project Meeting held in Edinburgh from 9th-10th May 2007.    

Back row (left to right): Prof Christian Seidl (Germany), Dr Dragoslav Domanovic (Slovenia), Prof Ian Franklin (Scotland), Angus MacMillan Douglas (European Blood Alliance), Dr Kjell Titlestad (Denmark), Dr Vincenzo De Angelis (Italy), Dr Christof Jungbauer (Austria), Dr Simon Stanworth (England)

Front row (left to right): Merredith Hart (Scotland), Diane Creigton (Scotland), Dr Laura Castro (Portugal), Dr Guenther Wittauer (Austria), Dr Brian McClelland (Scotland), Dr Georges Andreu (France), Elaine Arthur (Scotland), Dr Riin Kullaste (Estonia), Dr Petr Turek (Czech Republic) and Liz Pirie (Scotland).