It is scarce, it is precious and one day it could save your life - blood.

Blood donations are often in high demand and critical to a number of treatments and procedures performed at Waikato Hospital.

The Waikato District Health Board has established the country's first Patient Blood Management service. From left: service team members Aileen McGowan, Betsy Pactolin and Julie Retter, with a Waikato Hospital patient. Photo: Waikato DHB

In a New Zealand first, the Waikato District Health Board has established the Patient Blood Management service which identifies donor's blood as a scarce resource and a great gift.

Patient Blood Management coordinator Aileen McGowan says the service recognises the safest and best blood product for a patient is their own.

'Preparing patients for procedures where blood products might be required will be a focus for this service,” she explains.

'Making sure we maximise their haemoglobin levels (red blood cells) prior to a treatment or procedure will help reduce the use of blood products and their associated risks.”

Waikato Hospital has based its service on a set of patient blood management guidelines developed by the National Blood Authority of Australia, which a number of key tertiary hospitals in Australia have implemented.

The team will be part of a multidisciplinary approach, working alongside the patient with a specific management plan to optimise the patient's own blood volume, minimise blood loss, and optimise the patient's physiological tolerance of anaemia.