The Italian National Blood Centre (CNS), established at the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) by the Ministerial Decree of 26th April 2007, pursuant to Art. 12 of Law no. 219 of 21st October 2005, 219in agreement with the Permanent Advisory Technical Committee for the transfusion system, now section b) of the Technical Health Committee pursuant to Presidential Decree no. 44 of 28th March 2013, 44is charged with performing coordination and technical-scientific control activities in the transfusion field as regulated by the aforesaid Law no. 219/05 and by the relevant EU legislation, in order to achieve:
- self-sufficiency at regional and national level of blood, blood components and blood-derived medicines
- the highest levels of safety that can be sustainably achieved in the blood donation and transfusion process for effective public health protection
- identical conditions of the blood transfusion service throughout the country
- the development of transfusion medicine, the appropriate use of blood resources and specific diagnosis and treatment programmes including methods and tools for the prevention of avoidable transfusion
By constantly monitoring the needs and dynamics of the system and the coordination of the National Transfusion Network, the CNS promotes the continuous improvement of appropriateness in the clinical use of blood components and plasma-derived medicinal products, among other things to ensure the maintenance of self-sufficiency in red blood cells and the pursuit of the objectives set out in the National Plasma and Plasma-derived Medicines Programme.
In view of the need to guarantee uniform essential healthcare levels in transfusion medicine throughout Italy, the CNS requires all the players in the system [Donor Associations and Federations, Regional Coordination Centres for Transfusion Activities (SRC), Transfusion Services, Autonomous Regions and Provinces, Health Authorities, and the Armed Forces Transfusion Service] to constantly maintain and monitor the defined programmes and to promptly adopt the necessary measures to deal with any criticalities that may emerge.
Through annual national self-sufficiency of blood and blood products programmes, the CNS indicates the tools and indicators to continuously monitor the dynamics of transfusion care requirements, both regarding the actions promoted and undertaken by the Italian National Blood Transfusion Network, and in the face of the complex evolutionary changes in the multiple areas of care in which it is involved, by systematically monitoring the degree of achievement of the short and medium-term objectives. The objectives for self-sufficiency must also respond to fundamental and specific quality requirements. The attainment of the latter is highly dependent on the progressive organisational, technological and structural adjustment of the Network’s operational facilities in compliance with the quality and safety requirements established not only by national standards, but also by Community standards to guarantee homogeneous levels of quality in the sector throughout the European Union.
Lastly, the CNS promotes scientific research and training in transfusion medicine.