NHS Innovations North

Blood tag label reader

The Problem

Current manual checking procedures conducted when transfusing blood are time consuming, require a second transfusion nurse to witness the procedure and can be prone to error.

The Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) report independently highlighted this problem and an EU Directive enforced in 2005 requires a full audit trail of blood being transfused.

The Solution

An idea for a simple low cost semi-automatic label checking device and process utilising barcodes was
devised at a Haematology Laboratory in the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust.

NHS Innovations North worked with Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust to identify an appropriate development partner to realise a prototype which could be used to trail and evaluate the system. The success of the trial has now seen the design licensed to Newbury Data Recording Ltd.

Benefits to the NHS

The blood transfusion label reader is simple, reliable, easy to use and easy to train personnel to use it.

The portability of the device makes it ideal for performing routine checks carried out in the Haematology Laboratory and at the patient’s bedside on the hospital ward – hence the use of the device can be integrated into routine practice. It is also cost-effective over existing, complex systems on the market.

It is intended that the blood transfusion label reader will reduce the risk of incorrect blood administration by automating the manual checks involved in the administration of blood in pre-transfusion and transfusion procedures, thus reducing the associated detriment to patient health and costs of a mistake.

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