A HEALTHCARE technology company has been chosen to take part in an NHS blood transfusion trial which, it is estimated, could save the taxpayer £40 million a year.

Cheltenham-based MSoft eSolutions is the chosen provider for the biggest part of the national trial, which will get under way at Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust this month.

The trial was a key recommendation included in a Department of Health review of the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) Service, completed at the end of last year.

The NHS believes a national integrated electronic blood stock system could save the health service as much as £40 million a year while improving patient care.

MSoft, which also has an office in Merseyside, won all eight of the NHS tenders it bid for, worth more than £2 million in revenue, last year.

MSoft’s Bloodhound system controls access to and from all blood fridges, while a bedside management system allows each bar-coded blood unit to be matched with the patient’s bar-coded wristband in seconds.

The systems are designed to provide further enhanced security and safety by ensuring only approved staff are allowed to access blood.

The firm’s blood-tracking solution provides positive identification of users and patients and in-depth auditing of all bloods across each stage of the transfusion process, to help get the right blood into the right patient.

Matt McAlister, MSoft eSolutions’ managing director, said: “We are looking forward to taking part in this hugely important trial and to be the chosen provider for the biggest part of the process, which takes place in Liverpool.

“A nationally-integrated electronic blood stock system would significantly improve the efficiency of the NHS and potentially save many millions of pounds but, more importantly, it would vastly enhance the service provided to patients, many of whom are often critically ill.”