Surveys and audits

Reports about the blood supply chain and inventory management

Inventory practice surveys/audits

We aim to distribute an annual inventory practice survey to all participants on various aspects of hospital blood inventory management. Participation in the surveys is voluntary.

Survey topics include:

  • Red cell ordering and practice, laboratory staffing and maximum surgical blood ordering schedule
  • Emergency blood distribution
  • Use of the BSMS and crossmatch practice
  • Group substitution (mismatching)
  • Platelets and laboratory working practice
  • Blood storage – fridges and alarms
  • Frozen components and laboratory working practice


The information from the surveys is analysed and reports distributed to those that have participated.

We have also performed a number of audits in collaboration with hospitals, in order to identify areas of best practice and inform future work.

Inventory Practice Survey 2025

We are pleased to share our report from the 2025 Inventory Practice Survey, focusing on emergency component use and inventory management.

Below, you can access the full survey report, along with a supplementary key insights infographic highlighting the main findings.

A huge thank you to all organisations who took the time to respond to the survey. Your contributions are invaluable in helping us understand current practice, identify areas for improvement, and shape future guidance and education.

We are always open to ideas and suggestions on what we should focus future annual Inventory Practice Surveys on. If you would like to share your thoughts, please contact us at bsms@nhsbt.nhs.uk.

To read the full report, click here

 

2023 Hospital Frozen Component Inventory Practice Survey 

This inventory practice survey aimed to gain a better understanding of current hospital frozen component stock practices for NHSBT served hospitals. The intention was to establish current hospital procedures to understand the trend in data, inform future collection and manufacturing models and identify best practice recommendations.

Find the Frozen Component Inventory Practice report and Summary page below,


2021 Hospital Platelet Inventory Practice Survey

This year's inventory practice survey was centred around gaining a better understanding of current hospital platelet stock practices for NHSBT served hospitals. Its intention was to establish a full picture of the scope and variation of current procedures to better inform future collection and manufacturing models and to identify best practice models to help support others and where possible formulate some best practice guidance.

Find the Platelet Inventory Practice report and Summary page below,


Audit of Data Entry 2023

An evaluation of Vanesa Hospital Data Entry

Whilst BSMS data entry isn’t mandated, it is considered good practice. Hospital data is valuable to the blood service and to hospital peers participating in the BSMS to enable good inventory management practices and help blood services maintain a consistent supply through using real hospital data. This evaluation of hospital data entry is intended to encourage hospitals to review and improve their data entry.

A summary infographic for the data entry analysis is provided here (PDF 220KB)

Previous audits