Informed patient consent and shared decision-making for blood transfusion

Below are several supplementary resources to the 2025 SaBTO informed patient consent and shared decision-making for blood transfusion guideline, including shared decision process for consent and examples of methods to document consent from hospitals throughout the UK. Given SHOT’s role as a key stakeholder, the supplementary material is being hosted on the SHOT website to facilitate and support the implementation of the guideline within healthcare settings.

The SaBTO guidance can be accessed using the link via the red button below.

Department of Health and Social Care independent review of the Guidelines from the expert advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) on patient consent for blood transfusion

This report is a complete revision of the previous 2011 Advisory Committee report titled ‘Patient Consent for Blood Transfusion’. While the principles underlying consent remain much the same, the latest recommendations provide additional guidance specific to consent for blood transfusion, including identification of which patients should be consented (for example, where transfusion might occur during a procedure where the patient is incapacitated) and duration of consent. The work was undertaken by SaBTO and the final report amended after professional and lay consultation.

The revised guidelines from the expert advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) on patient consent and shared decision-making for blood transfusion has been released in the British Journal of Haematology and is accessible here.

Supplementary information

Shared decision process for consent

Click to access Shared Decision Process for Consent to the Transfusion of Blood Components and Blood Products in Adults and in Children

Examples of methods to document consent

Click to access Examples of methods to document consent to transfusion from hospitals
in the UK

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