Recommendation IBI-7a(i): Transfusion Committees and Tranexamic Acid - England
From Infected Blood Inquiry Final Report, published 20 May 2024.
Recommendation
In England Hospital Transfusion Committees and transfusion practitioners take steps to ensure that consideration of tranexamic acid be on every hospital surgical checklist; that hospital medical directors be required to report to their boards and the chief executive of their Trust as to the extent of its use; and that the board report annually to NHS England as to the percentage of eligible operations which have involved its use. If the percentage is below 80% or has dropped since the previous year, this report should be accompanied with an explanation for the failure to use more tranexamic acid and thereby reduce the risk to patient safety that comes with using a transfusion of blood or red blood cells.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry recommended surgical checklists and board reporting on tranexamic acid in England. In May 2025, the UK Government stated that an expert working group was considering plans to increase tranexamic acid use, though surgical checklists and board reporting were not mentioned, required funding had not yet been identified, and implementation would take several years (Cabinet Office response, May 2025). In June 2026, Sir Brian Langstaff, who chaired the inquiry, told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that discussions on tranexamic acid within the blood service were producing beneficial results, though these had not yet appeared publicly on the Cabinet Office dashboard (Sir Brian Langstaff, Jun 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Government response
UK’s governments
Recommendation 7 includes an especially complex set of sub recommendations. To ensure a joined up approach across the four nations, experts from across the four nations NHS bodies, blood services and external bodies such as the National Blood Transfusion Committee and Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) have formed a working group to take this forward carefully. Given this complexity, it is likely to take several years to fully work through these sub recommendations. Funding will also be required to implement these clinical policies, and this has not yet been identified.
Whilst we agree with the Inquiry’s recommendation for the increased use of tranexamic acid, further work is needed to ensure its safe and smooth implementation into patient care. The working group, with engagement from four nations stakeholders, is currently considering plans to increase use of tranexamic acid. Work is underway with professional bodies and specialists to consider provider guidance and give careful consideration to the needs of local organisations. Planning is underway for associated communications activities to support implementation with minimal disruption to patients.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: CP 1318 heads this passage "UK’s governments": it is the joint text of the UK Government and the devolved governments, recorded under the UK Government.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from UK Government has been found in the sources searched (last checked 11 June 2026). This is separate from the response above.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Infected Blood Inquiry (30 June 2026)
we have not yet been able to catch publicly, on the Cabinet Office’s dashboard of recommendations and their implementation, the discussions there have now been in the blood service about the use of tranexamic acid. That is currently under discussion, with beneficial results.
From: Oral evidence: Inquiry into the recommendations of the Infected Blood Inquiry (Stage 1)
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Infected Blood Inquiry
Finding