Transfusion Information for Patients

Your consent for a blood transfusion is required in both routine and emergency situations, however how your consent is obtained may differ dependent on the situation.

For a planned blood transfusion, a healthcare professional will have the opportunity to discuss the need for a blood transfusion with you. They will explain why it is recommended, discuss potential benefits and risks, highlight any possible alternatives and address any questions or concerns you might have. You will be given time to consider the information and provide your consent in advance.

In emergency situations, where a blood transfusion is required immediately, it may not be possible to obtain your consent before the transfusion. If this happens, a healthcare professional will talk to you about what happened, including the reason for the blood transfusion as soon as they can afterwards. They will also provide you with information about the procedure, its benefits and any potential risks, and address any questions or concerns you may have at the time.

The Infected Blood Inquiry (IBI) published its report in 2024. The report describes the serious harm blood transfusion has caused in the past, and the lasting impact this had on patients and their families. This underlines the importance of a full, open, and honest discussion prior to a planned transfusion, or after an unexpected transfusion in an emergency. To find out more about the IBI click here. 

If you think you or a family member have been affected, please access the following links that will provide you with further information and contact details should you wish to discuss your concerns:
England (NHS Blood and Transplant) 
Scotland (Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service) 
Wales (Welsh Blood Service) 
Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service)

The links below will take you to resources which contain the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not to consent to a blood transfusion (click on the image or adjoining text):

For Receiving a Blood Transfusion text that is compatible with screen reader software, click here now.

Printed versions of this leaflet, and other patient information leaflets about transfusion, are available from your blood service via the links below:
England and Northern Ireland 
Scotland 
Wales 
 

We encourage you to discuss your transfusion treatment further with your healthcare team. For example, you might want to ask:

• Should I do anything special to prepare for my transfusion?
• Is there anything I should do afterwards?
• How long will my appointment take? Should I bring anything with me?
• I have regular transfusions. Is there anything in particular I need to know?
   

The Serious Hazards Of Transfusion (SHOT) scheme also have a patient information page that you might want to visit for some further resources and blood transfusion safety messages: Patient Information (shot.org) 
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Please see below contact details if you have any difficulties accessing these resources or have further queries. 

England: PBM.Team@nhsbt.nhs.uk 

Scotland: nss.snbtstransfusionteam@nhs.scot 

Wales: WBS.BloodHealthTeam@wales.nhs.uk 

Northern Ireland: medicalsupport@nibts.hscni.net