The National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council (NPAAC) has released two draft documents for consideration which are the :
If members would like to submit comments, more information can be found here…..
We have been made aware of the biography of Ruth Sanger who was a tireless worker in the field of human blood group research for more than forty years. The ANZSBT honours her memory by awarding the Ruth Sanger Award which is the highest award of the Society and is made in recognition of a significant contribution to the field of transfusion medicine.
For those who would like to read more, her biographical memoirs can be found via clicking on the link here
We congratulate John Dagger who has been awarded the 2020 Peter Schiff Award.
Through this award, the Society acknowledges and recognises John’s long and significant contribution to transfusion medicine and science in New Zealand. His key roles in the NZBS Clinical Oversight Programme and New Zealand National Haemovigilance Programme, as well as a passion and commitment to teaching, have influenced the practice of transfusion in New Zealand and more broadly.
Congratulations John!
The ANZSBT Special General Meeting was held on 11th December 2020 which resolved and ratified our new constitution. A big thank you to all our members who attended this meeting. Your time and effort was greatly appreciated. The new constitution can be found on our website by clicking here….
Featuring a series of face-to-face meetings and the ability to livestream.
Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Whanganui-a-Tara, Te, Wellington will each host a one-day, face-to-face event, augmented by online workshops, talks and orations.
Hear from renowned speakers, attend workshops, browse our virtual exhibition, connect with likeminded colleagues both in person and online and celebrate with us, the Art in Medicine showcase. Delving into the theme of, Transformation: Adapting for the future, our speakers will bring insight and experience across a stimulating range of topics.
Registration is now open so secure your place.
Please click here to register.
The ANZSBT AGM will be held on Friday 6th November 2020 at 12:00pm AEDT. This will be a virtual AGM. Only eligible members have been sent a registration link. If you would like to attend and are eligible (Ordinary and Life Members), please contact the ANZSBT Secretariat at anzsbt@anzsbt.org.au or call 02 8386 8653 so that you can register to attend.
This may be of interest to members.
“Blood Matters is pleased to present the annual Serious Transfusion Incident Report for 2018-19, available on the Blood Matters webpage https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-services/patient-care/speciality-diagnostics-therapeutics/blood-matters/serious-transfusion-incidents
This report contains information on reactions, incidents and near misses that occurred in health services from Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019.
Reports are voluntary in nature and de-identified to protect patients, staff and health service confidentiality. Data, case studies and recommendations to improve practice are presented, and a summary report is also available.
All registered health services will also receive an individual summary of the reactions, incidents and near miss events they reported during the same period.
We realise there is some delay in providing this report due to the need to wait for return of investigations and validation steps by the expert group. For this reason, STIR also provides regular Bulletins, to address serious issues in a timelier way. These Bulletins can also be found on the Blood Matters webpage.
Participating in the STIR program assists health services to report haemovigilance data at both jurisdictional and national levels, with de-identified data from STIR reported to the National Haemovigilance Report.
If your health service is not participating in STIR and wishes to, or you have any questions regarding your individual report or the STIR annual report, please contact the Blood Matters secretariat on 03 9694 3523 or email: STIR@redcrossblood.org.au.”
This may be of interest to members:
Undiagnosed anaemia is common in the surgical setting and is associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. If it is uncorrected, it increases the likelihood of blood transfusion, which is independently associated with increased morbidity, mortality and hospital length of stay.
Of the 63 health services responding to the 2020 preoperative anaemia assessment and management in elective surgical procedures survey, 35 (56 per cent) reported a formalised process for optimising patient haemoglobin prior to elective surgery, with a further 16 planning to introduce a program in the next 12 months.
While there are more pathways present in 2020 compared with 2015, there is still room for improvement in both the development and the quality of anaemia assessment and management pathways.
Blood Matters recommends that health services review the report and associated recommendations through the blood management committee (or equivalent body), and use the data and individual reports (for those who participated) to assess their performance and action strategies to address any gaps.
‘2020 preoperative anaemia assessment and management in elective surgical procedures survey report’ can be accessed by cutting and pasting the link provided below into your browser,
https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-services/patient-care/speciality-diagnostics-therapeutics/blood-matters/reports-audits-journal-articles or go to the Blood Matters webpage (https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/blood-matters).
In the absence of BLOOD this year, ANZSBT has offered a webinar presented by Ms Trudi Verrall, Ms Penny O’Beid and Dr Beverleigh Quested.
The webinar was about listening to how Transfusion Nurses have influenced the development of ANZBST Guidelines for the Administration of Blood Products and created educational resources like the Flippin Blood Book and the Blood Book to ensure safe transfusion practices in Australia
The webinar was kindly sponsored by HealthRFID.
A recording of the webinar can be found by clicking here….