Blood donor appeal to replenish stocks

URGENT calls are being made to encourage people with two valuable blood groups to donate at the nearest donor centre.

Freezing weather has stopped many donors from taking appointments and some sessions have been cancelled which has taken its toll of stocks in Leicestershire.

Now NHS Blood and Transplant officials are appealing to people with B negative and O negative blood to donate.

Donors with these groups will be able to walk in and donate at Leicester Donor Centre on Vaughan Way in the city centre without having to make an appointment.

O negative is the universal donor blood which can be given safely to almost anyone, making it especially valuable for trauma patients where there is little time to test for blood groups. Only nine per cent of donors are O negative.

B negative is particularly important because many patients with serious blood disorders such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia need B negative blood. Only 2 per cent of donors are B negative and it is a blood group more common in black and Asian people.

Jon Latham, from NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “The recent poor weather has resulted in us having less O negative and B negative blood than is required for patients going into Christmas.

“If you are a donor with one of these important blood groups, please just walk into Leicester Donor Centre as soon as you can, and we will take your blood.

“Seriously ill patients in Leicester will need blood this Christmas and they will rely on the generosity of people making time to donate now.

“If you know that you have one of these blood groups and you can donate please take action now and walk in and donate - you will save lives.”

More information about Leicester Donor Centre including opening times is available by visiting www. blood.co.uk or calling 0300 123 2323.