Younger blood donors needed

Blood donors kept up supplies of all types over the festive break but more donations are always needed.

Lynne Willdigg, associate director of donor services, is also appealing for new and younger donors to start giving blood.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) needs 470 donors a day to keep supply levels safe.

The aim is to keep six days of stocks at any time to meet patients’ needs across the country.

Mrs Willdigg said: ‘We would also love to welcome new donors.

‘Forty-seven per cent of active donors in Scotland are aged 45 or over, so it is important younger people start giving blood to meet the needs of our ageing population. As you can start giving blood at age 17, we are reaching out to all younger people to encourage them to think about giving blood now.’

There are eight different blood groups but O Positive is Scotland’s most common blood group – 191 people with that blood group are needed to donate every day.

O Negative is the only blood group that can safely be given to anyone in an emergency situation and is in demand so A&E wards can operate safely.

Ms Willdigg added: ‘Our research shows 38 per cent of the population overall say they know their blood group. However, this rises to 61 per cent within the population who are blood donors. We are asking donors to check their blood group, and make an extra special effort to attend if we write to you or text you. If you’ve never given blood, please come along and donate, and we’ll write to you afterwards to let you know what your blood group is.’

Last year when the service came to Oban there were 206 donors on September 18 and 123 on October 23.

The service’s next visit to Oban will be to the Corran Halls on September 5 and October 3 from 3.30pm to 7.30pm.

For anyone wanting to give blood before those dates, Glasgow Blood Donor Centre at Nelson Mandela Place is open Monday to Saturday. Call 0345 90 90 999 between Monday to Thursday from 9am to 7pm and between 9am and 5pm on a Friday to make an appointment or email nss. snbtsenquiry@nhs.net