Health Service Circular Better Blood Transfusion Appropriate Use of Blood from Sir Liam Donaldson Department of Health to Chief Executive Health Authorities England Directors of Public Health Health Authorities England Chief Executives NHS Trusts Chief Executives and Main Contacts Primary Care Trusts Chief Medical Officers WalesScotlandNorthern Ireland Chief Executive National Blood Authority Medical Director National Blood Authority Nursing Statutory Bodies Chief Executives Professional Associations and Royal Colleges Regional Directors of Public Health Regional Directors of Performance Management Regional Nurse Directors Regional Postgraduate Medical Deans. New programme of action for the NHS to make blood transfusion safer. Provides guidelines for improving safety of the blood transfusion process. Provides guidelines to avoid the unnecessary use of donor blood in clinical practice. Contains guidelines for Good Practice and Standards Safety and Recommendations requiring further work.