Urgent call for blood donors in Cambridge as stocks ‘running low’
Blood supplies can be ‘lifesaving’ and the NHS has called for donors of a specific type to come forward amid low stocks
People in Cambridge with a rare blood are being urged to come forward(Image: Getty)
The NHS has made an urgent call for people in Cambridge with a rare blood type to come forward and donate. It comes amid warnings that supplies are under pressure.
NHS Blood and Transplant has appealed to B negative donors in Cambridge to book an appointment as soon as they can or walk in to the Cambridge Donor Centre at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Officials say there are 267 appointments still available this week at the donor centre.
Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply, said: “Right now, B negative stocks are at risk of running low. With this blood type, just a slight rise in hospital demand or one or two patients suddenly requiring a high number of units, can put significant extra pressure on supplies.
“We are calling on existing B negative donors to come forward and donate, and more people with this blood type to become regular donors and help secure the lifesaving supply of blood to patients in the months and years ahead.”
Only two per cent of the population have B negative blood, making it one of the least common types. Patients with the B negative blood type can only receive B negative or O negative blood. This means that low stocks of B negative can also impact emergency O negative supplies.
Existing B negative donors will be given priority access to appointments and are urged to call 0300 123 23 23. New donors who already know they are B negative can now add it when they register, allowing them to be prioritised.
Those with B negative blood are also asked to encourage family members to register and book an appointment to donate as they are 30 percent more likely to have this blood type than the general population.
Donating a unit of blood takes just an hour and each donation can save up to three lives. Men can give blood every three months and women every four months. Hospitals across England need more than 5,000 blood donations every day to ensure they have the blood they need to treat patients.