Although the results of the 2005 audit were not strictly comparable with the 2003 audit, practice does appear to have improved in broad terms, it concludes: fewer patients were found without a wristband (6% compared with 10% in 2003); and fewer were unobserved during the first 30 minutes of transfusion (34% compared with 47% in 2003).

The Trust has an active programme to conserve blood and reduce the number of transfusions given for all patients. In extreme cases the refusal of blood can lead to harm or even death, although everything will be done to try and avoid this. In all cases hospital staff will respect your right, as an adult patient, to decide what will happen during your treatment. Common reasons for not wearing a wristband were that the patient was “well known” or that it was “not day unit policy,” says the report.

If you are anaemic, you will be treated appropriately and the cause of the anaemia will be investigated. Clear policies and procedures along with communication regarding protocol requirements in these situations should be extant and part of continuous safety training. com), and their third-party tools use cookies to achieve the purposes illustrated in the Caresfield privacy policy. The hospital staff will record, in your medical records, the information you give verbally or contained in your ‘Advance Decision to Refuse Specified Medical Treatment’ form.

Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body and their number is measured by testing your haemoglobin. While lack of a wristband does not mean that a mistake will definitely happen, it does make it more likely. It is very important that you tell hospital staff as soon as possible so they can plan your treatment. This change of decision will be recorded in your medical records and your treatment plan will be adapted accordingly.The patient refused the transfusion, stating that her religion forbids it and that she understood the consequences. At about the same time that she was undergoing examination, both her parents and her minister arrived. Personalised advertising may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have a right to opt out.