April 6, 2010

Safe Blood? Nurses question minister's decision to use unregulated workers to screen potential blood donors
They want a transparent, independent evaluation of this experiment

The BC Nurses' Union is joining the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions in questioning a decision to allow Canadian Blood Services to conduct a pilot project to replace nurses with low-skilled workers for initial blood donor screening.

The decision was communicated to Canadian Blood Services by officials of federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq last Thursday (April 1), just before the start of the long weekend.

Nurses' unions across the country are calling for a transparent, independent and thorough evaluation of this questionable change to blood donor screening.

The decision flies in the face of the 1997 Krever Commission report on Canada's tainted blood scandal. The Krever report noted the important connection between blood safety and donor screening. The Commission said that "careful screening is essential to maintain a safe blood supply and it must continue."

Says BC Nurses' Union president Debra McPherson: "Nurses reviewed the proposal to Health Canada and see no evidence that drastically cutting nurses from donor screening is safe or necessary. Mr. Justice Krever said that the drive for cost-effectiveness and cost-efficiency can jeopardize blood safety, yet we see no other basis for Canadian Blood Services wanting this change."

CFNU commissioned external research on blood donor practices that found: 

• CBS' proposed donation model is not aligned with international best practices. In most other OECD countries nurses and/or doctors are routinely used to screen potential blood donors, contrary to CBS' claim that they are not;
• There is no compelling evidence that the use of low-skilled, unregulated workers will ensure the safety of the blood supply or donor health; and
• CBS can address the issue of nurse retention and recruitment by improving the quality of their workplaces.

"Research shows that the elimination of nurses from direct care in other healthcare sectors causes greater
rates of error and worsening health outcomes for patients," says Linda Silas, CFNU President.  "The evaluation process on a matter of such public interest must be independent, transparent and participatory."