Blood supplies have fallen to a critically low level across England, leading to the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) service to declare its first-ever amber alert. In Greater Manchester, the main challenge is running enough blood donation sessions as the service is hamstrung by chronic staff shortages.
Hospitals have been told to implement plans to protect their stocks, meaning non-urgent operations requiring blood could be postponed to ensure they are prioritised for patients who need them most.
A spokesperson for NHSBT said current overall blood stocks in the NHS stand at 3.1 days but levels of O type blood have fallen to below two days - the threshold for an amber alert.
