Blood component wastage

The National Blood Authority wastage reduction strategy, the Australian Health Ministers Conference (2010) National Stewardship statement and the Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Healthcare National Standards (Blood Management Standard) underpin the necessary focus on blood component wastage.

Victorian red cell waste has reduced significantly since 2014 and has been consistently lower than national wastage rates. This success is an outcome of collaboration between, engagement and support of Victorian health and pathology services.

Blood Matters is expanding on the successes of the red blood cell wastage project. We have increased our waste reduction effort to include all fresh blood components.

Constant vigilance is required to ensure that our donor's precious gift is not wasted.

Waste reduction strategies

The following principles and approaches have been identified as crucial to the continued reduction of blood and blood product waste in Victoria:

Effective inventory management is paramount to reduce expiry-related waste.
Sharing blood fridge compliance data between health services and pathology providers is essential.
Compliance with the BloodNet fridge module for blood fridge data recording.
Timely movement of blood products between health services to ensure units can be transfused before expiry.
Reducing the period of time blood may be kept following a crossmatch.
Compliance with correct transportation methods for blood components.
Increasing the use of visual prompts in blood fridges, freezers and platelet incubators. For example regarding short expiry dates.
State wide implementation of electronic crossmatching methods.
Simplifying procedures, production of and compliance with a maximum blood ordering schedule (MBOS).
Regular review of stock inventory levels.
Ongoing collaboration between health and pathology services.

STOP the waste festive campaign

The ‘STOP the waste’ festive campaign began in 2015-16 to raise awareness of RBC waste reduction over the festive period (November-February) when there had traditionally been a decrease in services across health organisations (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic).

While a reduction in services over the festive period no longer tends to exist, the ‘STOP the waste’ festive campaign continues to be successful in keeping blood wastage minimisation at the forefront of minds, and in celebrating the donor’s gift over this period. It serves as a timely reminder to monitor and respond to changes in health services activities that impact on blood use and adjust stock or staff responsibilities accordingly.

Throughout the year, stock levels should be monitored, and inventory adjusted as necessary. Of particular importance is reviewing O RhD negative RBC inventory as O RhD positive RBC for emergency use are implemented across health services, in line with the National Blood Authority’s National Statement for the Emergency Use of Group O RBC. More information is available on the Blood Matters Emergency use of group O RBC webpage.

Donated blood is a precious gift, and we all need to do our part to protect and manage this valuable resource.

Let’s celebrate the donor’s precious gift this festive season and beyond. Your continued support of the ‘STOP the waste’ campaign is appreciated.

Useful resources

Available for download are 2 checklists to prompt transfusion laboratories and health services to look at how blood use may be impacted over this period.

This includes:

Festive campaign checklists

One for metropolitan/larger health services:

Festive campaign planning checklist 2023-24 - large health service

docx 159.7 KB | Updated: 19 November 2023

One for smaller/rural health services:

Festive campaign planning checklist 2023-24 - small health service

docx 147.99 KB | Updated: 19 November 2023

Festive campaign infographic

There is also a festive campaign infographic to be displayed in clinical areas and the transfusion laboratory to remind staff to be vigilant in reducing waste over this period:

Blood Matters festive campaign infographic 2023-24

pdf 1.62 MB | Updated: 19 November 2023

Please liaise with your transfusion laboratory regarding any anticipated changes to activity to adjust inventory accordingly.

We encourage you to take the time to inform Lifeblood of any anticipated changes to your blood inventory and usage, to assist them to adjust donor collections as required. This will help to ensure sufficiency of the blood supply over the festive season.

Other resources and tools

Tools have also been developed for you to ensure quality control of your blood and blood products and assist with auditing and recording blood transfusion:

Blood refrigerator monthly maintenance chart

docx 81.74 KB

Blood refrigerator temperature record chart

docx 371.83 KB

Blood Matters audit tool for CT ratio final

docx 293.75 KB

O RhD negative red blood cells register

docx 273.61 KB