Save lives this spring and summer

We need your help to rebuild blood and platelet stocks as bank holidays and trips abroad affect donations this spring and summer.

Currently England remains in Amber alert for low stocks of O negative and O positive blood with the bank holidays in April and May, which often see a drop in blood donation, creating additional pressure.

With A positive and Ro subtype blood donations also in high demand, NHS Blood and Transplant is urging the public to make and keep appointments this spring and summer, particularly at donor centres where more appointments are generally available.

Platelet donors, who can now book and manage their appointments online, are also needed. Platelets only have a shelf life of 7 days, making it vital that stocks are continually replenished.

Donors who have already booked appointments should remember to check eligibility and to eat iron-rich foods before their donations, as deferrals due to travel and low haemoglobin increase in the warmer months.

You can boost haemoglobin levels by eating a well-balanced diet that includes sources of iron. They can take a few weeks to build to levels high enough to meet the cut-off levels set to ensure your safety.

Brixton Donor Centre

Brixton Donor Centre is helping to grow and diversify the country’s community of blood donors, meaning the NHS can save and improve even more lives.

Opening its doors just three months ago, the new donor centre in Brixton has been making a remarkable impact, with nearly 4,000 people having made lifesaving donations already, potentially meaning more than 11,000 lives have been saved.

The new centre, which was developed in collaboration with community leaders, local businesses and residents, is particularly popular with younger donors. More than half of donations so far have been made by people under 35, which compares with the national average of 23%.

What’s more, one in ten donations have been made by people with Black heritage: 3 times higher than the national average. Donors of Black heritage are far more likely than any other group to have the Ro blood subtype, which is essential in the treatment of sickle cell disorder.

The success in Brixton shows what's possible when communities come together to donate.

Whether you're in Bristol or Barnsley, Birmingham or beyond, your donation can save up to three lives.

It’s in our blood to save lives. Book your next appointment through our website, the NHS Give Blood app or call 0300 123 23 23.

Safety survey results

We would like to say a huge thank you to the 19,000 donors who took part in a survey on the donation safety check last year.

The survey, run for us by the UK Health Security Agency, found excellent adherence with the donation safety check individualised sexual risk assessment and confirmed that the LGBTQ+ community were able to make donations. Ensuring that only eligible people donate is key to the safety of transfusion recipients.

It is important not to be complacent and so more work to look at how we help donors disclose information before donation is underway. For instance, we know it can be hard to remember all your travel details to work out when it is safe to donate after travel.

We will be inviting some donors to take part in a travel survey soon to help us understand travel patterns and how accurately donors can recall their travel in the last 12 months.

This will help to plan for the impact of potential spread of dengue and other mosquito-borne infections to common travel destinations in Europe and USA. NHS Blood and Transplant can  meanwhile help donors to report travel accurately.