How are the registers of donors compiled?

The BBMDA negotiates contracts with the UK Blood Authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and agrees performance indicators against which the typing and provision of donors for transplants can be measured.

As a direct result, 100 per cent of the donors on the Welsh Registry and 70 per cent of those on the English Registry are tissue-typed at the AB/DR level by DNA typing methods. That means the combined Registry has the most comprehensively typed donors in the world, a fact recognised by transplant clinicians worldwide.

The five largest Registries in the world have on average only 35 per cent of their donors tested to such a high level so the BBMDA is justifiably proud that its support for high-quality typing saves lives and that through its support, both the English and Welsh Registries are officially recognised UK 'hubs' for international searches.

The partnership between the Charity and the National Blood Services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland works because:

• Blood Service laboratories have essential DNA facilities for the immediate testing of donor tissue types.
• Laboratory staff are trained in recruitment and counselling of volunteer donors.
• The Blood Services provide an efficient stewardship of the registries on behalf of the Charity and NHS.