People across Greater Manchester who have registered to give blood are being urged to donate.
New figures have revealed that around 235,000 people who signed up to give blood in 2022 have not yet made a donation. According to those same figures, more than 10,500 people in Manchester are registered to Give Blood, however, only two in three (7,150) have attended a donation appointment.
It comes after last October saw the first-ever amber alert on blood stock shortages. While blood stocks have since stabilised, more people are still being encouraged to donate with more slots being made available for new donors.
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David Rose, Director of Donor Experience at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We always need new people to join our amazing community of lifesaving blood donors and help meet the needs of patients right now and in the future. If you are one of the 10,500 people in Manchester who registered last year but are yet to attend an appointment, or you’re thinking about signing up to donate, please make 2023 the year you save lives.
“More slots are now available for first-time donors but if you can’t find an immediate appointment, don’t worry. Please book for further in the future as we need lifesavers every day.
"It doesn’t matter if it’s months or weeks ahead – every donation counts. Giving blood is quick and easy, and you will feel amazing afterwards.”
Meanwhile, NHS Blood and Transplant will launch the second phase of launching its first-ever mass home blood type testing campaign. It is hoped this campaign will help identify 5,000 individuals with vital O-negative blood - a universal blood type that can be given to any patient in an emergency.
The campaign itself is part of a larger NHS trial which will use home test kits on a large-scale to identify people with a specific bloody type and book them onto priority appointments. By doing this, the NHS can fast-track new donors with the critical blood type.
Over the next six weeks, 36,000 home-testing kits will be issued for donors who are yet to have an appointment. Those discovered to have O-negative blood will be given a priority appointment.
The NHS depends on blood donations to help treat patients with cancer, blood disorders, and those suffering from medical trauma or undergoing surgery. According to the NHS, each blood donation could save or improve up to three lives.
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