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

Abstract

Evidence from national audits of practice indicates that the provision of information to patients about transfusion and the taking of consent to transfusion have not improved in recent years. Although the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry did not make a specific recommendation about consent to transfusion, it emphasised the need for cultural change, the importance of openness and giving patients a voice. The purpose of these updated Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) guidelines is to enhance the provision of information to patients about blood transfusion, ensure an effective process for obtaining patients' consent and support shared decision-making. The guidelines emphasise that there is a duty on staff administering a transfusion to check that the documentation for consent is present and valid before commencing the transfusion. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities must facilitate this step by ensuring that documentation for consent can be easily found in a standard format and location in the patient's paper or preferably their electronic record. They should employ mechanisms through their arrangements for clinical governance to support the training of all staff who may take consent to transfusion and monitor the implementation and compliance with these SaBTO recommendations with subsequent improvement plans developed and implemented if necessary.

Keywords: blood transfusion; consent to transfusion; patient information; refusal of transfusion.