Hi Liz, In answer to your questions - I've given access to all the staff in the blood bank to allow for restocking. This includes our support staff. We check stock levels visually (by checking on the inventory on the manager PC) twice a day ( probably restock 1 fridge or other everyday but not each fridge daily) On mondays and fridays - we swap out the stock which has less then 7 days life left so we can ensure we use it and it doesn't get wasted. This is i usually the less used groups ( especially B neg and ABs) The system has an alarm level (which is settable by the lab leads) which means if the level of any group drops below that level - the system alarms in the lab prompting us to restock. This works well - most of the theatre staff are also happy to scan in the stock if we send it down to them when someone is bleeding. The system is totally controlled by IT - we've a bi directional interface with our LIS which means patients for who you don't want to issue remotely ( like those with antibodies and those who have recently had a transplant) can simply be blocked. It also means we can select who gets access ( they use a barcode on their staff ID badge to log on) and what they have access to. We have been known to redraw access if someone keeps doing things wrong ( or hasn't used the system for 6 months so they have to have retraining) regarding bedside transfusion - we also have It there too. We have PDAs at the bedside which are used to scan the patient ID wristband (which has a barcode on it) and the blood products (again we put barcodes on them too). If the blood isn't issued to that patient is alarms (loudly!) and so prevents them transfusing. We transfuse 28,000 units of red cells in a year - and this is used for all but a handful each year ( the handful which aren't done correctly are chased to fine out why - usually things like the PDA wasn't charged or the HIS wouldn't print out a wristband) You probably think by now that we have loads of IT - well we do! Hope that helps Julie