Irish Blood Transfusion Service launches Strategic Plan 2005 - 09

Tuesday 31st May 2005

Irish Blood Transfusion Service launches Strategic Plan 2005 - 09

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service today (Tuesday) launched its first Strategic Plan for the development of the service.  This strategy sets a course for the IBTS for the next five years.  It has been developed following extensive consultation internally and externally.  We must build and maintain a vibrant, modern organisation and the Board of the IBTS will encourage and support innovation and creativity to ensure this, said IBTS Chairwoman Maura McGrath. 

The plan addresses the key challenges and opportunities facing the IBTS, under four central themes:

Adapting to changing business environment
Be recognised as being a high quality, reliable supplier of blood and blood products operating to the highest international standards and providing value for money.  Develop within the new health environment and manage emerging threats in a timely manner.  Develop a public image that commands trust and loyalty from our donors and healthcare professionals.

Quality
Operate to a single national quality system consistently applied throughout the organisation.  A quality culture will be manifest in all activities/processes and functions.  Be recognised as a quality led organisation and have achieved accreditation to appropriate standards.

Technology, Research
Move up the value chain of transfusion medicine by developing a collaborative research programme with academic/pharmaceutical and international partners.  Become early adaptors of emerging technologies.

Organisation Development
The IBTS will achieve its mission through an organisation and a working environment which attracts the finest people; fully develops and challenges our individual talents and encourages individual and team based initiatives to drive the organisation forward.

IBTS Chief Executive Andy Kelly said that the IBTS faced ever changing demands and challenges in providing therapeutic products for patients that were as safe as we could make them. 

The organisation has, over the last number of years, made significant progress in facilities, staffing, procedures and practices with a view to providing the safest blood, blood components and blood products for patients. We now need to ensure that we build on the good work over the past number of years and we are ready to face the challenges ahead so that we can maintain our position at the leading edge of transfusion medicine in Europe.

ENDS