The Etablissement Français du Sang is a public establishment under the supervision of the Minister for Health. It is responsible for meeting the need for labile blood products and for adapting transfusion activities to medical, scientific and technological developments, while respecting ethical principles. It organises blood collection, the biological qualification of blood donations, the preparation, distribution and supply of labile blood products and their quality control throughout France, within the framework of the national blood transfusion master plan.
In particular, it is responsible for
1° Managing the public transfusion service and its ancillary activities, in compliance with the safety conditions defined by this code;
2° Promoting blood donation and the conditions for its proper use, and ensuring strict compliance with ethical principles throughout the transfusion chain;
3° Ensuring the quality of its products and practices, and in particular implementing the good practices mentioned in article L. 1222-12, in compliance with the legislative and regulatory provisions relating to transfusion activities;
4° As part of the haemovigilance network, ensuring the transmission of data relating to the safety of blood products to the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products) and epidemiological data to the Agence Nationale de Santé Publique (National Public Health Agency);
5° Drawing up, updating and implementing the national blood transfusion master plan;
6° In liaison with research and assessment bodies, encouraging, undertaking or participating in research in fields relating to blood transfusion, related activities or activities carried out on an ancillary basis, and promoting the dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge in these fields;
7° To keep a national file of rare group donors and recipients and a rare blood bank, and to coordinate the activities of the laboratories involved in these activities;
8° To participate in the organisation and delivery of aid in the event of a national or international disaster requiring the use of blood transfusion resources, within the framework of the laws and regulations applicable to such events;
9° To participate in France’s European and international scientific and technical cooperation.
Each year, the Etablissement Français du Sang draws up a report on its activities, which is submitted to the Government. This report is made public.