What do we do?
The Welsh Blood Service [WBS] covers South, West and part of Mid Wales. Within this area we collect voluntary, non-remunerated blood donations from the general public. These donations are processed and tested before distribution to hospitals where they support patient care. We also hold blood-derived products (both NHS and Commercial) for purchase by our customer hospitals.
We provide an antenatal screening service to several hospitals and offer all customer hospitals reference laboratory services to assist in the investigation of complex serological problems.
The Welsh Transplantation & Immunogenetics Laboratory, within the WBS, provides direct support to local providers of Renal and Stem Cell Transplant Services. It also operates a national panel of unrelated potential blood stem cell donors - the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
Medical Consultant support is provided to Hospital Blood Transfusion Committees which includes support in achieving the objectives of WHC(2002)137 – Better Blood Transfusion. Clinical advice is provided to customer hospitals as required.
We contribute to the maintenance of quality standards in the transfusion and transplantation community by hosting the UK NEQAS external quality assessment scheme for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics and the Welsh Assessment of Serological Proficiency scheme (WASPS).
The WBS is a division of Velindre NHS Trust. The Divisional Director is supported by a Senior Management Team which acts as the Executive for WBS, monitoring and controlling all major operational and financial issues. Performance Indicators for the WBS are set by the Blood Standards and Quality Group (chaired by the Chief Medical Officer).
We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and effectiveness. We hold ISO 9001 and CPA accreditation and we are an Investor in People. The WBS is licensed and audited by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on a regular basis.
Vision Statement
"To be a Centre of Excellence for Blood Transfusion and Transplant Immunology".
Mission Statement
"Through partnership with donors and staff, to provide quality services for patients in Wales".