The UKTLC Survey 2017 Key Findings and 2014 Standards are now published and available together with UKTLC Gap Analysis Proforma

The UKTLC Survey 2017 Key Findings and 2014 Standards are now published and available together with UKTLC Gap Analysis Proforma – please click on the following links

UK Transfusion Laboratory Collaborative Survey 2017 – Key Findings

UKTLC standards 2014

UKTLC Gap Analysis Proforma

The United Kingdom Transfusion Laboratory Collaborative (UKTLC) was formed in 2006 in response to 30-40% of the wrong blood events reported to SHOT originating in the hospital transfusion laboratory.  The Collaborative involves collaboration between all major transfusions organisations within the UK including the Institute of Biomedical Scientists, Royal College of Pathologists, British Blood Transfusion Society and the national quality assessment scheme for transfusion.

Following national surveys distributed in 2006 & 2008 the UKTLC published recommended minimum standards for hospital transfusion laboratories in 2009. These recommendations concentrated on 3 key areas: adequate staffing levels, particular levels of knowledge and skills, and wider use of computer information systems to reduce manual interventions which are known to have increased risk of errors. The aim of these recommendations was to facilitate a drop in the number of errors originating in the laboratory that are reported to SHOT (by 50% by 2012).

The surveys were repeated in 2011 and 2013 to examine current practice and has since been revised and rebadged as ‘standards’ to encourage transfusion laboratories to implement them. The UK Laboratory accreditation organisation and the EU competent authority have said that they will look at UKTLC standards when examining laboratory compliance with there own standards and with the appropriate sections within the EU blood directives such as the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 (BSQR). These are now available online!

The original recommendations are referenced in the 2013 BCSH guidelines for pre-transfusion compatibility procedures in blood transfusion laboratories. We continuously encourage all transfusion laboratory staff to comply with the UKTLC recommendations in order to improve the safety and security of transfusion service provision.

If you would like any further information, please contact Hema Mistry, SHOT Laboratory Incident Specialist on 0161 423 4235.