A leading local GP has urged south west Londoners to give blood after it was revealed that a million more donors are needed nationally over the next five years to ensure patients receive the right type of blood to save and improve their lives, with a particular need for Black African, Black Caribbean and younger donors.
In London over the next year alone, more than 42,000 new blood donors are needed to meet demand.
The national five-year Blood Service Strategy published by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) sets ambitious plans to recruit up to a million new donors and double the number of regular donors with the rarest blood types. This will ensure better matched blood types for patients in the future and reduce health inequalities.
Many people know the main blood types – O positive (35% of the population), O negative (13%), A positive (30%), A negative (8%), B positive (8%), B negative (2%), and AB positive (2%). But the public is less familiar with the many sub-types that can provide an even better match to improve their treatment.
There is a particular urgency for more donors of Black African and Black Caribbean ethnicity to treat people with sickle cell. Sickle cell is the fastest growing genetic blood disorder in the UK and mostly affects people of Black heritage. It requires regular transfusions – most often with the specific blood sub type Ro. Most patients are children and demand for Ro blood is projected to double from 2016/17 – 2025/26. Fifty five per cent of Black blood donors have the Ro subtype compared to 2.4% of donors from other ethnicities.
Together with young people, those of Black African or Black Caribbean heritage are being asked by the NHS to find out their blood type, by making their first donation at one of the many events being held at Blood Donor Centres in England.
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It is quick and easy to book an appointment to give blood.
Dr Vasa Gnanapragasam (pictured), lead GP for Merton, said: “Every donor is amazing – helping to save and improve people’s lives every day – and their generosity in giving blood is much appreciated. But more people are needed, especially those with the rarest blood types. Increasing the number of Black African and Black Caribbean blood donors is vital in improving outcomes for people with sickle cell disease.
“I would urge anyone who is able to give blood to come forward as soon as possible – you will play a vital part in saving the lives of your neighbours, friends and communities who are battling this disease. It’s simple, doesn’t take long and you will be doing something amazing.”
Stephen Cornes, Director of Blood Supply at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Currently we can only meet around half of the demand for Ro blood through our existing donor base and demand for this rare blood type is rising. This means many sickle cell patients often receive less well-matched blood which, while clinically suitable, can pose a longer-term risk to patients who receive regular transfusions. We urgently need new Black African and Black Caribbean donors to come forward and donate blood.
“In addition to the rarest blood types, we also need one million new donors over the next five years of all blood types. As the NHS treats more patients, we need to grow the total number of donors too.”
Star of Channel 4’s A Place in The Sun Scarlette Douglas knows how important blood is after her brother received 48 units over more than six hours. He suffered a life-threatening stab wound in his chest when he disturbed a burglar.
Scarlette, who has Ro blood herself, said: “Blood donors saved my brother’s life but blood will only be there in the future if young people of every heritage sign up as the next generation of donors. Finding matching blood for people of black heritage is particularly hard, so more black donors are urgently needed.”
Blood donation generally takes up to an hour. Once donated, blood is taken to NHSBT laboratories where it is divided into:
- Platelets: Platelets help to stop bleeding and can be donated directly. Donors with A negative, A positive or AB negative blood are mostly needed. 69% treat people with cancer, 17% helps people after surgery, 8% treat diseases, and 6% help adults and babies in intensive care.
- Red cells: two thirds are used to treat a vast range of conditions including sickle cell, anaemia, cancer and blood other disorders. One third is used in surgery and emergencies including childbirth.
- Plasma: 17,000 people are treated with medicine made from plasma. Plasma can be used to stop blood loss in trauma patients and is also made into a medicine for people with weak immune systems. People can also donate plasma directly.
NHSBT carefully manages blood stocks to ensure the system is as efficient as possible. Red blood cells have a shelf life of 35 days, although some of the ultra-rare types are stored in NHSBT’s frozen blood bank in Liverpool.
There are 25 permanent donor centres across the country, including in London (Tooting, Edgware, West End, Shepherd’s Bush and Stratford), Mobile teams also collect blood at community venues such as church halls around the country.