A wristband barcode identification system trialled by patients needing blood transfusions could soon be used in Oxfordshire hospitals.

The new system, which was introduced earlier this year, will now be rolled out across the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, starting with the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington.

Yesterday, trust managers held a promotion day to explain the system to patients and staff, and there will be similar events in the near future at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford and at the Horton Hospital in Banbury.

A hand-held computer prevents potentially fatal accidents by matching patients to blood products before allowing transfusions to start.

It has proved a complete success during pilot trials at the John Radcliffe in Headington. The new system will also make it possible to use barcode systems for devices such as glucometers and, in due course, chemotherapy.

The ORH has agreed to fund the system for five years at a cost of £1.7m. Barbara Cripps, project Manager for SafeTx, the barcode-protected blood transfusion system, said: "Currently, wristbands across the trust are of inconsistent quality - some are printed, some handwritten, and they can be incomplete or hard to read.

"SafeTx, which is the driving force behind the implementation of the new wristband system, is really going to improve patient safety. It will ensure that, in addition to providing barcoded identification, all information on wristbands will be consistent, complete and legible.

"Wristband printers are being installed throughout the trust, and we're running training sessions, wristband audits and a poster campaign."

The importance of the new technology is highlighted by the fact that in the last financial year, 4.2 per cent of all samples received in the ORH blood transfusion laboratories were inappropriately or inadequately labelled, leading to 2,000 samples being rejected.

How it works

Staff use a hand-held computer to scan a barcode on individual patient's wristbands.

The device prompts them to then scan the donated blood. The equipment will not allow the transfusion to start until the doctor or nurse has scanned in their own barcode, which tells the computer whether they are qualified to give a transfusion.