 | Chairman's Report | |
| Chief Executive / Medical Director's Report |  |
2008/09 Report (the report for 2009/10 is currently awaiting approval)
During the year NIBTS achieved its key purpose in that all hospital requirements for blood and blood products were met. For this we are again grateful to all our donors for their continuing support.
Every blood donation we collect is used to prepare two or more blood components but it is the demand for red cell components which dictate the quantity of blood donations required. In 2008/09 red cell demand was similar to the previous year so following a progressive decrease during the previous five years demand appears to have reached a plateau.
Blood transfusion practice in the UK is covered by the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 (BSQR) and under this legislation organisations involved in the collection, processing and testing of blood require a blood establishment authorisation. This is granted by the MHRA based on the outcomes of regular inspections. As was noted in last year’s report an MHRA inspection in April 2008 resulted in an adverse outcome and as a result NIBTS rapidly developed and implemented a comprehensive remediation plan. As a result a repeat inspection in November 2008 had a satisfactory outcome. This experience highlights the fact that the regulatory standards in this area have become increasingly rigorous and demanding. This applies particularly in the application of quality management systems which have been reviewed and revised by NIBTS during the year. The additional staff resources required to achieve these improvements have been and will continue to be substantial. The Service has had to make use of external resources (mainly consultants) as well as additional temporary staff to cover the short term developments but it is clear that maintaining compliance with the regulations in the longer term will require additional permanent staffing for which additional external funding is being sought.
Apart from the BSQR which covers the core business separate regulatory arrangements apply to the other services we provide. The Cord Blood Bank requires to meet the standards of the UK (Quality and Safety for Human Application) regulations for cells and tissues and the Human Tissue Act. During the year the Service was inspected by the Human Tissue Authority with a very satisfactory outcome and almost all the ensuing corrective actions have been completed. The diagnostic laboratory services are covered by the Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) scheme. During the year issues arising from an interim inspection in the previous year were largely addressed and a full inspection will be carried out in the coming year.
In common with other HSC bodies NIBTS has been required to achieve resource releasing efficiency savings averaging 3% per annum over the period 2009/11. This has been achieved for 2008/09 and initial budgeting for 2009/10 indicate financial balance but this will be dependent on the achievement of efficiency gain targets. Efficiencies required to achieve the target (3.5%) in 2010/11 have yet to be developed.
2008/09 has been a challenging year for the Service requiring a very strong focus on maintaining regulatory compliance. This has been made possible by the commitment of our staff across all areas of the Service and I would like to pay tribute to them for their hard work and professionalism.
Finally our donors have again displayed outstanding loyalty and generosity and I would like to thank them for their continuing support
Dr W M McClelland (retired August 2009)
Chief Executive/Medical Director