The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has plans to discontinue funding of the cornerstone hemovigilance programs in Canada, the Transfusion Transmitted Injury Surveillance System (TTISS) and the Transfusion Errors Surveillance System (TESS), through their Blood Safety Contribution Program (BSCP) as of March 31, 2026. This was done without consultation with the blood system and against the recommendations of two independent audits.

The creation of TTISS and TESS, as having a primary role in hemovigilance, arose as recommendations from learnt experiences from the tainted blood scandal as findings from the 1997 Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada (led by Justice Horace Krever). The loss of these two systems in Canada will threaten the health and safety of Canadians and adversely impact the mitigation of future risks in the transfusion of blood and blood products.

Standards and regulations for transfusion safety require a means to collect, collate, and analyze appropriately comprehensive data. In the absence of TTISS and TESS, these data are not fully collected by Health Canada nor blood operators, who narrow focus on unexpected and/or severe outcomes solely associated with blood quality. TTISS and TESS provide surveillance on inappropriate hospital transfusion practices. Removal of TTISS/TESS and thus hemovigilance, leads to hospital blood banks’ licensure being put at risk, and reducing patient care and requirements to an inferior standard of care that puts patients at risk.

We urge you to use your voice in hopes the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario (OAG) in its role to ensure accountability to Parliament, to have the Federal government rescind the decision to withdraw funding from hemovigilance counter to the recommendations of two independent audits.

We invite you to utilize the provided templates and share your feedback with the OAG here.

What you can do to help support this Call To Action:

1. The BSCP for OAG Web Inquiry Template can be downloaded below and can serve as a starting point to emphasize the risks to the healthcare system.
2. Below is a suggested template that asks the Auditor General of Canada to ensure accountability to audits should you be interested in using this web inquiry form: https://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/web-inquiry.html

Office of the Auditor General of Canada C/O complaints-plaintes@oag-bvg.gc.ca

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In association with SCORE. Dr. Jesse Guscott & Dr. Gregg Bolton, Collingwood General & Marine Hospital

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Dr. Katerina Pavenski

St. Michael’s Hospital – Unity Health

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Dr. Kimmo Murto

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)

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Alison Wendt, ORBCoN

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Anne-Marie Leitner, Royal Victoria Hospital

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Kelsey Schembri, South Grey Bruce Health Centre

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Dr. Laura Stone, Sault Area Hospital

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Allison Murphy & Sarah Hamilton, Collingwood General & Marine Hospital

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Brandon Doneff, ORNGE

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