The annual cost of blood transfusions in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This study estimated the annual cost of blood transfusions in the UK during 1994/1995. The analysis was based on published data, information derived from interviews with relevant NHS personnel and a purpose-designed structured questionnaire of blood donors. The cost to the UKs blood transfusion services of providing blood and blood products for transfusion was 165.5 Pounds million in 1994/1995. During this period, 2.75 million conventional donations of whole blood and 144,000 apheresis donations of platelets and plasma were collected: 2.58 million units of red blood cells were issued, resulting in approximately 866,000 red blood cell transfusions; 334,000 units of fresh frozen plasma and 1.16 million units of platelets were issued, resulting in approximately 17,000 and 188,000 isolated plasma and platelet transfusions, respectively. Hospital resource use attributable to providing blood transfusions during 1994/1995 cost the NHS 52.6 Pounds million. In total, blood transfusions cost the NHS 218.2 Pounds million during 1994/1995. Of this, red blood cell transfusions accounted for 76% of the annual cost, isolated platelet transfusions 16%, isolated plasma transfusions 1% and other products 7%. Donors incurred direct costs of 3.1 Pounds million and indirect costs of 11.2 Pounds million were accrued due to lost productivity. Additionally, blood donors gave up 2.5 million hours of their leisure time donating blood.

Cytokine‐Induced Expansion of Human CD34+Stem/Progenitor and CD34+CD41+Early Megakaryocytic Marrow Cells Cultured on Normal Osteoblasts

“…Given the close overlapping relationship between erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis [28], the present study was carried out to evaluate the role of normal human osteoblasts in supporting cytokine-induced expansion of megakaryocytic progenitor marrow cells. Thrombocytopenia remains a significant cause of morbidity in cancer patients undergoing allogeneic BMT [29], which consumes millions each year for frequent platelet transfusions [30]. Thus, the aim of the present study was to achieve a maximum expansion of early megakaryocytic progenitor cells while maintaining the number of CD34 + stem/progenitor cells using a novel culture system containing appropriate cytokine(s) on a layer of normal human osteoblasts in an attempt to provide an effective solution for the problem of post-transplant thrombocytopenia.…”

Changes in cost-effectiveness over time

“…The current Baseline National Price of a unit of blood issued by the National Blood Service is £82.50 including collection, storage, screening, and the costs of universal leucodepletion [32]. A study by Guest and colleagues [33] estimated hospital resource use attributable to transfusion to be £52.64 million in 1994/1995 (including equipment,staff,testing and complication costs), and that the transfusion of red blood cells accounted for 91% of these annual costs. Inflating this cost to 2000 with Hospital and Community Health Services inflation indices [31] results in an additional £25.43 cost per unit of blood for the hospitals,making the real cost of transfusing a unit of blood approximately £108.…”

“…To aid comparison, the results of the LHM study were updated to 2000 with Hospital and Community Health Services indices, [33] so the original cost per QALY ratio of £103,145 becomes £171,810. However, using the updated data on erythropoietin use, iron supplementation, complications and blood transfusions, a net in-| Eur J Health Econom 2•2003 118 crease of one QALY costs £17,067 with EPO treatment.…”

Determinants of Blood Donation Status in Malaysia: Profiling the Non-Donors, Occasional Donors and Regular Donors

“…Meanwhile, Kasraian (2010) indicates that the most frequent reason for lapsed donation is a lack of time due to work. As noted by Guest, Munro, and Cookson (1998), the annual costs of blood transfusions can be significant as aside from direct costs (e.g. hospital resources, transport, etc.…”