Here you will find answers to the frequently asked questions that we have received from participants over the years.  If you do not find the answer you are looking for, or would like more details, please contact the BSMS Office

Q. For which blood components should I be submitting data?
A. Since April 2004, the BSMS has been collecting data on ADULT red cells and platelets. All hospitals should be submitting data on both red cells and platelets, except in South Wales becuase platelet data is not yet available from the Welsh Blood Service.

Q. Does it matter when I count my stock that is available for issue?
A. The most appropriate time for counting stock is after you have carried out your main take down and before the main stock delivery arrives. If for any reason this is difficult in your lab, you should pick an appropriate time and make sure that you count your stock at the same time every day.

Q. If I miss a day will that skew my average?
A. No, so long as you do not enter any data for that day, i.e. do not enter zero. If no data is entered, that particular day will not be counted.

Q. So what about data for Saturday and Sunday?
A. If you do not have staff available to collate stock data on Saturday and Sunday, you do not need to enter any data for those days. Do not make a guess on Monday or add the guess to Monday’s stock figures. You will still need to collate wastage and transfused figures for the weekends, or include the wastage for weekends in your monthly wastage figure (see below).

Q. Can I enter wastage and transfused figures on a monthly basis?
A. Yes, you may enter wastage and transfused data on a monthly basis. Ensure that you enter the sum of wastage over the month (for each blood group) on the last day of the corresponding month. You can also request that your data entry preference is set to monthly to ensure you don't accidentally enter daily wastage data. Remember that you can only enter data for up to 3 months retrospectively. If you have older data to enter, please contact the BSMS Office.