Standards of Practice

WCBS follows the requirements of the Human Tissue Act (Act 65 of 1983), which sets out how human blood and blood products must be managed in South Africa. These standards of practice exist to ensure that all blood used for transfusion is collected, processed, stored, and issued safely.

Meeting the Minimum Requirements

We not only meet these minimum requirements — we aim to exceed them. Our internal standards and procedures go beyond what is required whenever doing so improves donor or patient safety.

Minimum requirements include:

  • If the CEO is not a registered medical doctor, a Medical Director (a doctor experienced in transfusion medicine) must oversee all medical and technical policies.
  • The organisation must provide appropriate clinical consultation support for transfusion therapy and any complications.
  • Confidentiality must always be maintained for all donor and recipient information.

The National Blood Transfusion Council reviews and updates these standards every four years.

Additional Documents

WCBS position paper on the Amalgamation of Blood Services in South Africa.