3, 4 February 2014
During a routine inspection
We spoke with two patients who were attending the therapeutic apheresis unit, seven donors, six donor carers, three qualified nurses and other senior managers.
Patients were fully informed about their treatment plans, had consented to the treatment and were well looked after by skilled nurses.
Donors were involved in making decisions to donate and gave consent. They were well looked after during the procedure. The health and welfare of donors was paramount and donors were given post-donation information so knew what to do if they were unwell. There were stringent procedures to ensure that recipients of donated blood were not placed at risk of receiving unsafe products.
There were standard operating procedures for staff to follow in the donation process. Infection prevention and control measures were in place and donation was carried out in premises fit for purpose.
Donors were looked after by donor carers and qualified nurses who were well trained and supported to do their job. NHS Blood and Transplant had robust measures in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and used donor feedback to review and amend service delivery.