The availability of blood components and plasma protein and related products is essential to the provision of emergency, surgical and medical care. In a blood system based on voluntary donation, the potential for blood shortage is an ongoing risk.
The BC Provincial Blood Coordinating Office (PBCO) in collaboration with its provincial stakeholders have developed blood contingency plans to manage potential or actual blood shortage situations. Both the BC Blood Contingency Plan and the upcoming BC Ig Shortages Plan refer to the National Plan for Management of Shortages of Labile Blood Components, from which the BC plans have been built.
The Transparent Blood Inventory dashboard is a helpful tool to promote collaboration between hospital sites within BC and Yukon. The near-real time application can be used to help assess potential next steps during blood shortages, or other blood contingency events.
| Resources |
| Template: Blood Contingency Plan Contact Information |
| References |
| Alberta Blood Contingency Project Final Report, July 2020. |
| Australia National Blood Authority. National Blood Supply Contingency Plan. Version 2.0: July 2019. |
| American Association of Blood Banks. Disaster Operations Handbook: Coordinating the Nation’s Blood Supply During Disasters and Biological Events, v.2.0. September 2008. |
| National Advisory Committee on Blood and Blood Products and Canadian Blood Services. National Plan for the Management of Shortages of Labile Blood Components. November 7, 2025. http://www.nacblood.ca |
| Nova Scotia Provincial Blood Coordinating Program. Nova Scotia Provincial Blood Contingency Plan. Version 2.1: March 2021 |
| Ontario Blood Programs Coordinating Office. Ontario Contingency Plan for Management of Blood Product Shortages. Version Date: October 31, 2016. |
| United Kingdom National Health Service, Development of an integrated blood shortage plan for the National Blood Service and hospitals. April 2023. |
| Emergency Framework for Rationing of Blood for Massively Bleeding Patients during a Red Phase of a blood shortage – synopsis for Triage Team. Final Draft October 11, 2012. http://www.nacblood.ca |
| Literature Resources and References |
| National Plan for the Management of Shortages of Labile Blood Components, November 7, 2025. www.nacblood.ca |
| Ontario Contingency Plan for Management of Blood Product Shortages Toolkit, October 31, 2016. |
| Emergency Framework for Rationing of Blood for Massively Bleeding Patients during a Red Phase of a blood shortage - synopsis for Triage Team. Final Draft October 11, 2012. www.nacblood.ca |
| AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Pandemic Influenza and the Blood Supply Planning Checklist Version 2.0, October 2009. |
| American Association of Blood Banks, Disaster Operations Handbook: Coordinating the Nation's Blood Supply During Disasters and Biological Events, v2.0, September 2008. |
