Background

The BSMS collects data from hospitals on stock, wastage, and transfused for red cells and wastage for platelets. Currently participating hospitals access VANESA (BSMS data management system) through a secure area on the BSMS website and manually input their data. We would like to move to electronic data information transfer between the participating hospital’s computer software systems and VANESA.

This would have three main advantages:

• Daily issuable stock, allocated stock, wastage and transfused data for all blood and blood products would be available to the BSMS.
• Hospitals will not need to manually enter their data and thus save them valuable time.
• More information will be available regarding the use of blood and components. This will also support drives to improve appropriate use and avoidance of shortage.

An electronic system

An electronic transfer of data requires data to be extracted from the laboratory information management system (LIMS) into an agreed file format.  The file format has been agreed by SACIT and is published in the red book.

Once the data has been extracted, the file will be transferred to the BSMS either via FTP or via VANESA. Data from the files will then be extracted in the required format and uploaded to VANESA.

The Fate Of Donation (FOD) Project

Since Aug 2004 the BSMS have been working with selected hospitals, LIMS suppliers, and NBS IT to develop the FOD system.  Key documents related to this project are available below

On Monday 19 March 2007, the FOD pilot formally commenced with 2 hospitals.  It is intended that a further 3 hospitals will start in the next couple of weeks.

Pilot hospitals and other interested parties can find details of the pilot in the FOD pilot section.

Fate of Donation Project closure

The Fate of Donation project was closed on 31st July 2007 following a pilot with three hospitals and two LIMS suppliers.

The pilot identified a number of areas for development. These will be included in a project initiation document to be submitted for the further development of FOD and VANESA. When this is completed it is hoped that FOD will be available for roll out to more hospitals.