Blood and plasma donations advice

Health service chiefs have told North East blood and plasma donors not to worry if appointments are cancelled as part of a national trial of a potential coronavirus treatment.

Plasma – a clear, strawcoloured liquid which carries platelets (red and white blood cells) – is the largest single component of blood and can be used in transfusions.

But not everyone is suitable to donate and the process to collect it is more complicated than that for blood, so it is done at selected donation centres nationwide.

The Government announced last month that there was evidence plasma collected from coronavirus survivors could be used to help those seriously ill with the disease and it was launching a national trial.

The trial will investigate whether transfusions of antibody-rich plasma from people who have recovered could help boost the immune systems of people who are still unwell.

NHS Blood and Transplant is beginning to collect ‘convalescent’ plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19, so some blood and platelet donation appointments in Newcastle are being cancelled and rescheduled to free up slots.

The blood service says donors should not worry about stocks of blood and plasma and the change will have no impact on supplies.

An NHS Blood and Transplantspokesperson said :“We would encourage any blood and plate let donors who have had their appointment cancelled to re-book an appointment for a future date at by calling 0300 123 23 23, visiting blood.co.uk or using the NHS Give Blood app.”