• The Manager has heard anecdotal evidence that patients who receive older blood are more likely to suffer adverse effects from the blood transfusion. She would like to use the Excel data described for Part 1 to determine if there is any evidence of this relationship, which could be used to identify an improved strategy for handling the blood expiry.

 

• The Manager would like to ensure that more transfusions occur with closely matched blood types so that the O- blood supplies are less commonly used for non-O- patients. Excess demands of a blood type are assumed to represent demands that exceed the supply of the blood type. Assume that at present, all excess demands are fully covered by O- blood supplies and that all transfusions of O- to other blood groups could be avoided if there were sufficient supplies of appropriate alternatives.

The Manager is considering a revision to the strategy to handle excess demands and would like some analysis of the Excel data described for Part 1, to give a better understanding of these.