With blood, there is no room for mistakes. The service is either performed to the highest possible standards or not at all.

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For this reason, we have more than 70 standard operating procedures (SOPs), which detail every action carried out by the Foundation. They ensure all procedures conform to the highest possible standards and are fully documented. They are an essential part of the Foundation's Quality Assurance Programme and are regularly revised.

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The Foundation's Clinical Director carries out an internal audit of all aspects of the Foundation's activities each year, identifying areas in need of improvement and supervising implementation.  In addition, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) audits the Foundation’s work every 2 years to ensure adherence to all regulations so allowing renewal of the Blood Establishment Authorisation (BEA).  In the alternate years an independent External Audit Panel reviews the work of the Foundation and reports its findings to the Trustees.

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When blood is shipped, its temperature is recorded every five minutes by a monitoring device to ensure it has not varied from 2°- 8°C from the moment it leaves the blood bank to the moment it is placed in the receiving blood bank or is transfused.

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RABIES VIRUS

Following two deaths in the UK from rabies contracted overseas, the Trustees decided to add the provision of human rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine to the Foundation’s services. This has proved very popular with members, as symptomatic rabies in humans is invariably fatal.

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MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

The BCF Travel Club offers membership to individuals and travellers abroad.

Expatriate medical insurance companies, such as April International in the UK, and travel Insurance companies, such as Travel Insurance Consultants in South Africa, carry Blood Care Programme membership as an enhancement of their policies.

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Around 30 major corporations use BCF membership to protect their expatriate and local staff, family members and those travelling on company business.