Timeline of Service

1946

The Blood Transfusion Service is established by the Ministry of Health.

1953

A new administrative headquarters was established in Howard Street, later becoming the permanent donor centre for Belfast. March of this year saw the first journey of the Service's Mobile donation Unit - the first of its kind in the UK.

1958

The first Blood Donor Recruitment Week was held in Belfast, helping recruit an additional 2000 new donors.

1961

The Blood Tranfusion Service laboratories initially housed at the Royal Victoria Hospital, moved to Belfast City Hospital in 1961.

1970

Although under the umbrella of the NIBTS, Donor Recruitment and blood collection had been organised and located separately from the laboratory aspects of blood transfusion.

This changed in 1970 with the opening of a refurbished centre in Durham Street, when both the laboratories and blood donor organisation were amalgamated into a single organisation.

1995

NIBTS relocated to a new purpose built transfusion centre sited in the campus of Belfast City Hospital. In the same year the Service was established as an independent Agency.

2018

Introduction of our new Bloodmobile. With its new double pod expansion system, the new Bloodmobile is better able to accommodate the demands of a session.