More than 200,000 people signed up to give blood have yet to make their first donation, the NHS has said. It follows the first ever amber alert warning of low blood stocks last October - during which there were fewer appointments for new donors because of staffing shortages.
But the health service says stocks have since stabilised and there are now more slots available for new donors. NHS Blood and Transplant is urging new registrants who have not yet donated to "take the next step" and book an appointment.
Figures show 235,000 people in England who signed up to give blood last year are yet to make their first donation. Donors of Black heritage are particularly needed, as they are more likely to have the blood type needed to treat sickle cell patients – the country’s fastest growing genetic blood disorder. The NHS says demand for ethnically matched blood for these patients is on the rise and has already doubled in recent years.
