Congratulations to Stuart Lord, Lead Transfusion Practitioner at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, on receiving the runner-up Best Abstract Prize at the 2025 SHOT Symposium. His exceptional work highlights the critical role of transfusion practice in improving patient safety and surgical outcomes.
About the Audit
Stuart's audit focused on evaluating compliance with NICE Quality Standard QS138, specifically the use of tranexamic acid in elective surgeries with an expected blood loss of over 500ml.
Key findings include:
- Overall compliance was 52%, revealing significant variation across surgical specialties.
- Orthopaedics showed high adherence, whereas other specialties lagged behind.
Driving Change Through Insight
These findings prompted the development of a strategic action plan led by the Hospital Transfusion Committee, with close collaboration between the Lead Transfusion Practitioner, a Consultant Anaesthetist, and a Junior Grade Anaesthetist. This multidisciplinary approach underscored the shared commitment to improving compliance and advancing patient blood management practices across the Trust.
This initiative was driven by the urgent need to improve practice, in line with the Infected Blood Inquiry recommendations and supported by the NHSBT Amber Alert on blood stocks.
Strategic Improvements Include:
- Integration of tranexamic acid prompts into surgical safety checklists
- Digital documentation enhancements
- Specialty-specific education and engagement initiatives
These targeted actions aim to boost guideline adherence and enhance Surgical Patient Blood Management (PBM) outcomes across the Trust.
You can view Stuart’s poster detailing the results Stuart Lord-SHOT 2025
