Innovative research, improving quality, and celebrating patient successes and the role of donors within transfusion services

A modern successful Blood service is reliant on numerous elements to continually improve. With the constant increments in regulatory and quality management legislation the backbone to the service requires the implementation and maintenance of a modern Quality management system. It also relies on successful relationships between the various arms of the organisation in driving the service forward, and finally it is dependent on a relationship between its donor base and the staff. It is vital that those involved with transfusion appreciate the impact that they are having on the donors and patients, and it is important to appreciate and engage with donors without whom there would be no transfusion or transplantation. As a reflection of this the Scotblood 2014 programme was focused on service improvement and people centred transfusion. This commentary comprises summaries of the presentations, based in part on the abstracts provided by the speakers.