INCREASED demand for blood from hospitals and high levels of unfilled appointments at donor centres have caused life-saving stocks to drop to unprecedentedly low levels, NHS bosses have revealed.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), based in Dodworth, are in the midst of an ‘amber alert’ after demand for blood from South Yorkshire’s hospitals exceeded collections by almost 3,000 units.
O-negative and O-positive donors have subsequently been asked to urgently book and fill appointments at centres in a bid to address the shortage.
The festive period is always a challenge for blood stocks as cold weather, seasonal illnesses and busier diaries lead to more unfilled and missed appointments, while demand from hospitals can rise, NHS bosses said, as Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are the only days of the year that blood isn’t collected.
However, to supply local hospitals with the 1.5 million units of blood they need to treat patients, appointments need to be close to fully booked all year round.
Donors are being asked to make an appointment to donate if they don’t already have one, with thousands of slots still available this month alone.
Dr Jo Farrar, chief executive at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:
“The new year is a time when lots of people make resolutions - make giving blood your resolution for 2025 and you will save up to three lives every time you donate.
“The NHS needs life-saving blood all year round, so we are asking people to help us maintain the lifesaving supply of blood to hospitals this year by booking an appointment now.
“We still have almost 11,000 appointments that we need to fill.
“Giving blood is quick and easy - the whole process takes just one hour.
“Book an appointment today and save lives this year.”
Blood is constantly needed to help the NHS treat patients with cancer, blood disorders and those suffering medical trauma or undergoing surgery, and O-negative blood is mostly used for emergency care.
Minister for Patient Safety, Baroness Gillian Merron, added: “The NHS is in urgent need of blood and registering to donate is a simple yet powerful way to save lives.
“We are grateful to everyone who has donated so far but we know more needs to be done.
“This new year, make it your resolution to give blood to help protect and support our NHS over winter.
“We’re seeing an increased demand for blood and shortages of stock so it’s important that donors come forward for appointments.”
O-negative is the type that can be given to anyone - known as the universal blood type - as it is used in emergencies or when a patient’s blood type is unknown.
O-positive is the most common blood type - 35 per cent of donors have it - and it can be given to anybody with any positive blood type.
This means three in every four people, or 76 per cent of the population, can benefit from an O-positive donation.
Professor Stephen Powis, medical director of the NHS, urged eligible people to come forward.( “With thanks to regular blood donors across the country, hospitals will continue to access stock when necessary and prioritise it for those who need it most.”
For more information on how to donate, visit the NHS Blood and Transplant website.
