Educational courses endorsed by ISBT

The Management of Transfusion Medicine programme (MTM) was set up in 2001 by the Academic Institute for International Development of Transfusion Medicine (IDTM), a collaboration of University of Groningen and Sanquin. It is a unique programme for current and potential leaders of blood banks in medium and low income countries.

The focus of the programme is aimed towards the individual development and personal growth of professionals from the blood services field, so they can make a difference in their home countries, once they have earned their degree. MTM students receive the opportunity to choose their own research subjects and are offered a tailor-made traineeship, which consists of two internships of approximately 8 weeks each in the Netherlands.

The first year of the programme is based on the concept of distance E-learning. Students follow a total of 8 online Courses from their home country. The second year revolves around the two traineeships, alternated with a period of assignments and data collection in the student’s home countries.

The aim of the programme is that students, on successful completion of the programme, have acquired the knowledge and skills to take on a senior-management or board level position at academic level. This position is an essential part of the blood transfusion chain that is geared to develop, organize and implement a sufficient, safe and affordable blood supply. The graduate is able to take the initiative to interact with the clinical part as well as the society to orchestrate and/or influence the outcome of the transfusion chain from donor to patient. 

For more information, please contact [email protected].

BloodSafe eLearning Australia provides on-line education and training resources for health professionals in Australia. These courses aim to improve knowledge of patient blood management and clinical transfusion practice that can be applied in the clinical setting to improve patient outcomes. All courses are based on published guidelines, evidence-based practice and expert opinion, and provide up to date information for health professionals.

BloodSafe eLearning Australia is supported by all Australian Governments, the Australian Red Cross LifeBlood and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion (ANZSBT). Courses are endorsed by a range of professional colleges and societies.

To read more about the course, please follow this link.

This course is organised by the British Blood Transfusion Society (BBTS) and designed to provide a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of transfusion science as conducted within the modern transfusion science laboratory. In particular, the programme will provide the learner with evidence of specialist knowledge in transfusion science, following Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration at practitioner level, required to demonstrate specialist and independent practice capabilities (NHS career framework grade 6 and above). This course aims to give the learner the knowledge, understanding, analytical and practical skills to interpret data, solve problems and provide solutions to differing laboratory situations, commensurate with the level of Specialist Practitioner in Transfusion Science.

The course begins with a face-to-face Induction day and is subsequently delivered online via the BBTS Academy. Enrolled students have access to a dedicated online student area with monthly online presentations (with audio), guided learning schedule, student forum (for discussion activities) and interactive quizzes.   

This qualification is intended for UK Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered Biomedical Scientists (BMS) working in transfusion science either in a blood establishment laboratory (blood centre) or a hospital transfusion laboratory. It is also suitable for Republic of Ireland Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine (ACSLM) registered Medical Scientists.

For more information on the course, please follow this link.  

A shortage of donors is, arguably, the most pressing problem facing most low and middle-income countries. This is certainly true in Africa, especially as nations strive to improve their healthcare infrastructure with the offer of more blood intensive therapies against a background of inadequate current supply. But, until now, resources to improve and share best donor recruitment and retention practices in these settings have been sparse or non-existent.

To help address this deficiency, experts in Africa were engaged by the charity Global Blood Fund to write a series of twelve inter-related modules covering all aspects of donor management practice. These are presented in this distance-learning training course as a series of 12 half-hour narrated videos. Those engaging with the program - and the six-hours of content is freely available to anyone with an internet connection - can select whether to follow the education or certificate pathways. Content is the same in each, but the latter incorporates an exam component after each module, with successful completion leading to the award of a downloadable certificate to evidence this achievement. This may be useful to demonstrate personal attainment, or for managers who have tasked their staff with engaging to verify that content has been understood by team members.

Although written 'by Africans, for Africans', content should prove relevant to practitioners operating in poorly-resourced settings anywhere in the world. Indeed, some of the content could also be found useful by more seasoned recruitment professionals operating in high-HDI countries. The program may also appeal to those working in other blood banking disciplines but looking to understand more about donor recruitment and management issues.

For more information on the course, please follow this link.  

Study a postgraduate master's degree in transfusion and transplantation created in a collaboration between NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Bristol, UK and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol).
Training at UWE Bristol and NHSBT’s facility in Filton, the largest blood centre in Europe, you will learn from leading experts in practice.

Course delivery uses a flexible blended approach, through a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching, and can be studied over one year full-time or two years part-time. This programme will be delivered in partnership between UWE Bristol and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Additionally, several of the modules (Applied Transfusion Science, Applied Transplantation Science, Management of Clinical Services, Research Methodology and Statistics) can be undertaken individually as standalone Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses.

The unique partnership between UWE and NHSBT provides an ideal environment for this programme, combining excellence in teaching with current practice-led real-world expertise with internationally-renowned research. NHSBT manage all blood donation and provision of blood to hospitals throughout England, alongside tissue, stem cell and organ donation, and transplant services for the whole of the UK. NHSBT also performs Diagnostic and Therapeutic services for NHS and private patients, and others such as the Ministry of Defence.  A world-leading research programme and clinical trials continually seek to improve safety and inform best practice guidelines nationally and internationally. Complementing this, UWE’s thriving collaborative networks provide scientific and healthcare expertise, and state-of-the-art technology, combined with established delivery of blended learning approaches. This collaborative approach is emphasised and valued throughout the programme, with taught material and assessments delivered by experts at both Institutions.

The degree offers the opportunity to gain advanced knowledge in both transfusion and transplantation science and its application to real-life clinical scenarios. You will develop real-world skills in laboratory management, and cultivate business development skills within health technology, taking an idea through the design, development and implementation process. The extended research project offers flexibility to work alongside experts on cutting-edge projects, or alternatively using the expertise in your place of work, giving the opportunity to adapt your degree to best suit your needs and career goal.

The aim of the programme is to equip learners with the knowledge and skills to move into a supervisor role within a transfusion laboratory.

Further information can be found on the UWE Bristol online prospectus.

or e-mail [email protected]