Over 100k responded to urgent blood appeal with renewed call for more donors

This World Sickle Cell Day (Thursday 19th June), NHS Blood and Transplant is extending huge thanks to people across the country for an ‘incredible’ response to its urgent donor recruitment and blood stocks appeal launched last week.

But the NHS is renewing the call for more donors of Black heritage to come forward and give blood to help patients with sickle cell.

Last week’s appeal was launched to mark National Blood Week (9–15 June), highlighting the need for one million regular blood donors to maintain safe supplies and avoid a “red alert” – a critical shortage that poses a risk to patient care and public safety – including a specific need for more donors of Black heritage.

During the first seven days of the campaign, over 29,000 people registered as new donors and over 100,000 appointments were booked. Of the 29,000 people who registered last week, 1,000 were from a Black heritage background.

NHS Blood and Transplant has around 50,000 appointments available every week; and needs to consistently fill appointments in order to meet the needs of hospitals and patients.

While community sessions are generally well supported, the greatest appointment availability is usually across the major town and city donor centers spread across the country.

Following the appeal issued on Monday, there has been a positive response from people of all blood types; however, there remains a particular need for more O negative donors – the universal blood type used in emergencies – as well as donors of Black heritage who can help treat patients with sickle cell.

Sickle cell is the country’s fastest-growing inherited blood disorder that disproportionately affects Black African and Black Caribbean communities. Data suggests that in the UK around 250 babies a year are born with the condition.

Over 13,000 sickle cell patients currently rely on regular blood transfusions, and the best-matched blood will often come from donors of the same ethnicity. The NHS needs around 250 donations per day from Black heritage donors in order to meet current need, and demand continues to grow.

NHS Blood and Transplant needs over 17,000 regular donors of Black heritage to help meet growing demand for sickle cell patients. More than half (56%) of donors of Black heritage are likely to have the Ro blood type, compared with just 2.4% of other ethnicities.

Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply, says:

“We are so grateful for the response we have seen from new and existing donors across the country over this past week. Over 29,000 new donors registered and 100,000 booked appointments is an incredible response.

“However, with 50,000 appointments in need of filling each week, we urge people not to lose this momentum. As we head into the summer, we still have many appointments available to book – with 50,000 donor center appointments still available over the next six weeks.

“And while we have seen a great response to our calls for more Black heritage donors to sign up to become blood donors, there remains an urgent need for more to register and give, as the demand for blood continues to grow.

“We very much hope that people who have registered, booked, or donated for the first time over this past week, will become regular donors to help stabilize blood stocks and more people will continue to keep coming forward to help us save more lives in the future.”

Aliya Gladyng from Sydenham relies on regular six-weekly blood transfusions to help manage her sickle cell anemia.

“As an exchange patient, I receive blood transfusions every six weeks. Each time, I have eight units taken out of my body and eight more units of donated blood put back in. This means I need around 70 bags of blood every year. Please donate blood. You really have no idea how much it helps people like me.”

Brenda Smith, a longtime blood donor from Croydon and supporter of the Sickle Cell Society, says:

“I started giving blood aged 21 in 1989 when I saw a blood donation van on my way home from work and decided to go in while I waited for the rush hour to die down. Since then, I’ve donated 52 times and hope to give at least 52 more. The more I’ve learned, the more I’ve realized just how important it is. Why not be a real hero and do something, like giving blood, which is so relatively simple!”

As well as the need for more donors of Black heritage, there also remains an ongoing need for more O negative and B negative blood donors.

Anyone over 17 years old can register or book via: www.blood.co.uk, NHS Give Blood app or 0300 123 23 23.