Taxis

[Duffy]

What would be considered the minimum level of GMP Awareness / Training for taxi drivers who transport blood components in sealed boxes between hospital sites? Eg. Documented annual training in GMP or a simple GMP awareness and instruction sheet for each trip? Bearing in mind the irregular nature of taxi use and logistics of training these drivers. Many thanks.

[Oglasi]

Why would taxi drivers transport sealed boxes of blood components in first place? This service should be available for medicine and healthcare personel only. (IMO)

[Orr]

{ Duffy:What would be considered the minimum level of GMP Awareness / Training for taxi drivers who transport blood components in sealed boxes between hospital sites? Eg. Documented annual training in GMP or a simple GMP awareness and instruction sheet for each trip? Bearing in mind the irregular nature of taxi use and logistics of training these drivers. Many thanks. ]

We give our hospital drivers good practice awareness every 2-3 years. If there is an increase in problems then the frequency decreases. With taxi couriers (which we only use infrequently for blood) the taxi company manager is given the awareness training and he is responsible for cascading this information to his drivers, again, any problems are recorded for assessing further needs or effectiveness of this approach.


[Oglasi: Why would taxi drivers transport sealed boxes of blood components in first place? This service should be available for medicine and healthcare personel only. (IMO)]

Hospital and Blood services have to use external couriers because we don't have unlimited personnel to perform this task- which can take place many times a day 24/7 365 days a year for the delivery of various blood components.

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Orr

[Orr]

Back to the original question, it appears that a short competency for the drivers is also a good way to demonstrate understanding. This will also help with your UKAS inspection,particularly if combined with sample transport/ spillages ( sample & formalin ) and actions.