London (UK) , November 2006 - ELearning service provider Course-Source has won a coveted 2006 National Training Award in recognition of its exceptional achievements in training medics to use an alternative method of blood transfusion.

Working in partnership with Virtual Pedagogue Ltd, Course-Source provided online training to medics working in hospitals in Derby, Leicester, Sheffield, and Nottingham. Teaching the basic skills needed to use Intra-Operative Cell Salvage (ICS), a method of blood transfusion that uses patients' own blood in advance of practical training in the operating theatre, the eLearning course was so successful that the NHS is now rolling it out nationwide.

During the ICS procedure, any blood lost during surgery is collected, cleaned, and returned to the patient, so risks to his or her health through transfusion-related infections or adverse reactions are minimized. The process can be used for a wide range of surgical procedures, eliminates the need to store blood before transfusion, and helps to conserve dwindling donor blood supplies.

When eventually rolled out to NHS hospitals nationwide, the ICS eLearning program has the potential to save the NHS millions of pounds each year. By eliminating the costs of obtaining, screening, storing, screening, and transfusing donor blood, one hospital alone saved 450 blood units during the pilot training period, representing a saving of around £20,000.