Warning over low blood supplies as Cambridgeshire residents are urged to donate
People with B negative blood type in Cambridgeshire are being called on to donate – as the NHS warns supplies are running low.
Those with this blood type are being urged to come forward as a combination of low numbers of existing B negative donors and recent high demand for B negative blood has left stocks under pressure.
NHS Blood and Transplant is contacting all B negative donors asking them to book in to donate – with upcoming donor sessions in Peterborough and Cambridge.
A spokesperson said: “Existing B negative donors will be given priority access to appointments and are urged to call 0300 123 23 23 they are struggling to find availability. Alternatively, they can just walk in for an appointment at Cambridge Donor Centre.
“There are 267 appointments still available this week at the donor centre, located at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. In contrast there are just 87 existing B negative donors in the city currently without an appointment who could fill these slots, so more new B negative donors are needed.”
Peterborough sessions take place at Kingsgate Community Church on the 26th March, and Christchurch Hall (Orton Goldhay) on 16th April.
People can check out available appointments at www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 to speak with our donor bookings team.
The NHS needs more people across the county with B negative blood to step forward to help bridge the gap and boost the overall total number of donors with this blood type. Currently fewer than 20,000 people with B negative blood in England donate regularly.
Only two percent of the population have B negative blood, making it one of the least common types. And patients with the B negative blood type can only receive B negative or O negative blood, meaning that low stocks of B negative can also impact emergency O negative supplies.
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.
New donors who already know they are B negative can now add their blood type when they register, allowing them also to be prioritised.
Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply, said: “B negative donors are immensely important to our lifesaving work, but as this blood type is only found in two percent of the population, it can be a challenge to always collect enough.
“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.”
The NHS says hospitals across England need more than 5,000 blood donations every day to ensure they have the blood they need to treat patients.
As well as B negative, there is also an ongoing need for more donors with O negative and RO blood types.
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.
Book an appointment at www.blood.co.uk, use the GiveBlood app or call 0300 123 23 23.