Hospitals in Manchester need one lifesaving blood donation every eight minutes, the NHS has revealed as it urges more people in the city to become a donor and save lives.
Almost 200 blood donations a day helped to save and improve the lives of patients in Manchester in 2023. That’s eight lifesaving units every hour or one every eight minutes, says the NHS.
The NHS has issued an urgent call to more people in the city to come forward and book an appointment to donate, to help ensure seriously ill patients continue to receive the blood they need. While all blood types are needed, O negative and O positive donors are in particular demand.
Following the bank holidays and school holidays, the NHS currently has lower than normal stocks of type O blood. O negative is the type that can be given to anyone which makes it vital in emergencies or when a patient’s blood type is unknown.
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Air ambulances and emergency response vehicles carry O negative supplies. O positive is the most popular blood type – 35 percent of donors have it – and can be given to anybody with any positive blood type. O blood types are in greatest demand from hospitals and the first to be a challenge if stocks are running low. So it is crucial that the NHS has a robust pool of donors to rely on, the health service says.
More donors of black heritage are also needed to provide ethnically matched blood for people with sickle cell, say NHS bosses. Hospitals need a record 250 donations a day for sickle cell, which is the fastest growing genetic blood disorder in the UK.
Paul O’Brien, director of blood supply for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Demand for blood never stops. To make sure blood is always there for patients who desperately need it, we need more people to join our amazing community of blood donors.
“Right now we especially need more people in Manchester with the critical O negative or O positive types to come in and donate. Please book an appointment today. Giving blood is quick and easy, and you will save lives.”
Every minute the NHS in England needs three lifesaving blood donations to play a vital role in the treatment of diseases, recovery from trauma and successful surgeries. NHS Blood and Transplant has revealed the figures ahead of National Blood Week (June 10-16), to highlight the vital yet sometimes overlooked role of donated blood in emergency and planned patient care.
Around 800 appointments are available at Manchester’s Norfolk House and Plymouth Grove donor centres over next two weeks
To book an appointment via the GiveBloodNHS app or at www.blood.co.uk
