Urgent Call for B Negative Blood Donors in Manchester

People with B negative blood type in Manchester are being called on to donate as the NHS warns that supplies of this much-needed blood type are running low.

The NHS is urging people with this blood type to come forward as a combination of low numbers of existing B negative donors and recent high demand for B negative blood has left stocks under pressure.

NHS Blood and Transplant is contacting all B negative donors asking them to book in to donate. Existing B negative donors will be given priority access to appointments and are urged to call 0300 123 23 23 if they are struggling to find availability.

Alternatively, B negative donors in the Manchester area can just walk in for an appointment at either of the city centre permanent donor centres – Norfolk House and Plymouth Grove.

There are a combined 399 appointments still available this week at the donor centres. In contrast, there are only 266 existing B negative donors in the city currently without an appointment who could fill these slots, so new B negative donors are also needed.

The NHS needs more people in Manchester with B negative blood to step forward to help bridge the gap and boost the overall total number of donors with this blood type. Currently, fewer than 20,000 people with B negative blood in England donate regularly.

Only two percent of the population have B negative blood, making it one of the least common types. Patients with the B negative blood type can only receive B negative or O negative blood, meaning that low stocks of B negative can also impact emergency O negative supplies.

Those with B negative blood are also asked to encourage family members to register and book an appointment to donate, as they are 30 percent more likely to have this blood type than the general population.

New donors who already know they are B negative can now add their blood type when they register, allowing them also to be prioritised.

Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply, said: “B negative donors are immensely important to our lifesaving work, but as this blood type is only found in two percent of the population, it can be a challenge to always collect enough.

“Right now, B negative stocks are at risk of running low. With this blood type, just a slight rise in hospital demand or one or two patients suddenly requiring a high number of units can put significant extra pressure on supplies.

“We are calling on existing B negative donors to come forward and donate, and more people with this blood type to become regular donors and help secure the lifesaving supply of blood to patients in the months and years ahead.

“If you are a B negative donor and can’t find an appointment near you, please call us, and we will do what we can to make one available for you. If you have never given blood before and believe you are B negative, please sign up and book an appointment today.”

Hospitals across England need more than 5,000 blood donations every day to ensure they have the blood they need to treat patients for a wide variety of reasons, including traumatic injuries or accidents, cancer treatments, sickle cell, and childbirth.

As well as B negative, there is also an ongoing need for more donors with O negative and RO blood types.

Donating a unit of blood takes just an hour, and each donation can save up to three lives. Men can give blood every three months, and women every four months.

Book an appointment today at www.blood.co.uk, use the NHS GiveBlood app, or call 0300 123 23 23.

What’s your Blood Type Testing Event

Local residents keen to find out their blood type are also invited to visit a free NHS Blood and Transplant blood typing event taking place at Manchester Arndale from Monday 2 March until Sunday 8 March, offering eligible adults the chance to have a quick finger-prick blood type test and register as a new blood donor.

Location: Manchester Arndale, Lower Mall, outside Next
Date: 2–8 March
Time: Mon-Sat, 9 am – 8 pm; Sun, 11:30 am – 5:30 pm