These Guidelines apply to the donation and preparation of materials derived from blood, tissue and stem cells by the UK Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services for therapeutic and diagnostic use. They reflect an expert view of current best practice, provide specifications for products and components, and describe technical details of processes. Every effort has been made to ensure that the guidelines reflect the legally binding requirements of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005.
The publication of updated Guidelines does not guarantee that the practices outlined are brought into use by all UK Services, or that their implementation will be simultaneous - the implementation dates may be decided separately by each Service. Please consult your relevant Service (England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland) for details of implementation dates.
The Guidelines are published online only and are no longer issued in discrete hard-copy editions. Revisions are made on a rolling basis, as required, and are indicated by Change Notifications listed on the Updates page.
JPAC considers the last hard-copy publication of the Guidelines (Red Book, 8th edition) to be obsolete and recommends all existing physical and digital copies are withdrawn from use.
Users should always refer to transfusionguidelines.org/red-book to ensure the most up-to-date and relevant Guidelines are being accessed.
If referencing the Guidelines, please cite as a website, e.g.
JPAC. Chapter 5.7: Whole blood donation. Guidelines for the Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services in the UK. https://www.transfusionguidelines.org. Accessed 24 October 2024