The use of blood has greatly increased during the past 25 years. One of the most important advances during this period is related to the development of methods of isolating, concentrating and storing the individual components of blood for specific clinical requirements. Along with this, new problems in science and technology, blood-donor organisation and medical care and the recruitment and training of staff have emerged. The opinion is advanced, that in the future, the efficiency of blood transfusion lies in its establishment as a separate discipline.