NZBS to Implement New Mislabelled Blood Sample Policy - 19 September 2022

RE: NZBS to implement new mislabelled blood sample policy

From Monday, November 7, 2022, New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) will be changing how it manages mislabelled blood samples sent to NZBS Blood Banks as part of an approach to reduce unnecessary delays and ensure the safety of patients requiring a transfusion.

Once the new policy is implemented, NZBS will no longer allow errors on the sample label and/or request form to be corrected by the person who collected the sample and the patient will need to be re-bled.

Check Twice, Label Once campaign 

This new policy will affect those collecting and sending blood samples to NZBS Blood Banks.

To help educate your staff about the upcoming changes and encourage correct blood sample labelling prior to the new policy taking effect, we would like to run a ‘Check Twice, Label Once’ campaign at your organisation.

Please see the PDF attached for more information. 

NZBS would like to commence the Check Twice, Label Once campaign on Monday, October 10, 2022, four weeks prior to the new sample criteria being implemented.

To help us achieve that, we are seeking your advice on the following:

• The best way to roll this campaign out within your organisation.
• The appropriate internal channels (e.g. internal newsletters) to promote blood sampling safety and communicate the new changes coming into effect.
• Any other opportunities within your organisation where we can communicate the changes to the blood sample labelling criteria.

Further information

The Transfusion Nurse Specialist responsible for implementation of the Check Twice, Label Once campaign for your organisation is Susan Mercer (susan.mercer@nzblood.co.nz). They will be your main point of contact if you have any questions or wish to discuss this further. 

We would like to thank you for your help and understanding as NZBS implements its new policy around mislabelled blood samples.