The NHS has repeated its emergency appeal for blood donors to come forward, especially across London, as stocks of blood have fallen to unprecedentedly low levels.
Book now: the NHS needs blood donors to come forward urgently
The fall in stocks is due to what the NHS describes as “a perfect storm” of increased demand of O-type blood from hospitals following the recent cyber attack which has impacted London hospitals and reduced collections due to high levels of unfilled appointments at donor centres.
NHS Blood and Transplant issued an “Amber Alert” yesterday asking hospitals to restrict the use of O type blood to essential cases and use substitutions where clinically safe to do so.
O negative and O positive donors are asked to urgently book and fill appointments at donor centres.
O negative is the type that can be given to anyone – known as the universal blood type. It is used in emergencies or when a patient’s blood type is unknown. Air ambulances and emergency response vehicles carry O negative supplies. Just 8% of the population have type O Negative but it makes up for around 16% of hospital orders.
Hospitals will continue to carry out urgent, emergency or trauma surgery, cancer surgery, transplant surgery and blood transfusions to treat people with long-term conditions.
NHSBT runs 235 mobile sessions a week in community venues which are regularly close to fully booked. Sessions in London donor centres have a higher number of appointments available.
To supply hospitals with the 1.5million units of blood they need to treat patients, appointments need to be close to fully booked all year round.
NHSBT’s Dr Jo Farrar, said: “We urgently need more O group donors in London to come forward and help boost stocks to treat patients needing treatment.
“Last month we saw an incredible response from donors who answered our call and filled up our centres, helping us meet the increased demands for blood throughout June. However, seven weeks on, the need for O negative blood in particular remains critical.
“We’re making an additional 1,000 appointments per week available. Please take a moment to go online and book. If you can’t find an appointment immediately, please book in for coming days, weeks and months. We will have an ongoing need for donations.”
Register today and book an appointment to donate via the GiveBloodNHS app or at www.blood.co.uk
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