1.2: Organisation of the UK Blood Services

There are four national Blood Services/Blood Transfusion Services in the UK:

• NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), a Special Health Authority within the NHS, which provides Blood Services and tissues in England and North Wales, and organs for the whole of the UK.
   
• The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), which is managed by NHS National Services Scotland.
   
• The Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS), which is managed by the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Special Agency.
   
• The Welsh Blood Service (WBS), which is provided and managed by Velindre NHS Trust.

These are Blood Establishments.

Following devolution of governments in the UK, the UK Blood Services Forum was established in 1999 comprising the chief executives and medical directors of the four services, and JPAC became accountable to the medical directors, who themselves are accountable to their chief executives. The close working relationship with NIBSC (subsequently part of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) from April 2013) has been maintained through the Director of NIBSC.