Latest news with #GerryGogarty
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Urgent plea for O negative blood donors
The NHS has warned that supplies of O negative blood in the West Midlands are "critically low", as it urges people to donate. NHS Blood and Transplant has revealed there are 4,033 donors in the region with the O negative blood type whose last donation was more than 12 months ago. It is calling on these donors to come forward urgently to help the NHS rebuild supplies, after a combination of factors have left this blood type under particular pressure. England remains on amber alert for low stocks of O type blood. The NHS said four bank holidays, the Easter holidays and half-term break all falling within a six-week period had made maintaining steady stocks particularly challenging. Blood donations often drop over bank holiday weekends and holiday periods when people are busy and forget to donate. Gerry Gogarty, director of blood supply for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "Our 'missing' O negative donors in the West Midlands have the power to relieve the pressure on supplies of this vital blood type. "If you are O negative and haven't given blood in a while, please book an appointment to donate today. Don't hesitate - patients need you now. "Our donor centres like the one in Birmingham's New Street generally have the best availability. If you can't find an appointment straight away please book further ahead or keep checking back to help fill last minute appointments or cancellations. Every donation makes a critical difference." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Bank holidays putting strain on blood donations Giving blood linked to lower risk of pre-cancer gene Blood donor who started at 17 gives 150th pint NHS: Give Blood
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Urgent plea for O negative blood donors in Birmingham
The NHS has warned that supplies of O negative blood in the West Midlands are "critically low", as it urges people to Blood and Transplant has revealed there are 4,033 donors in the region with the O negative blood type whose last donation was more than 12 months is calling on these donors to come forward urgently to help the NHS rebuild supplies, after a combination of factors have left this blood type under particular pressure. England remains on amber alert for low stocks of O type blood. The NHS said four bank holidays, the Easter holidays and half-term break all falling within a six-week period had made maintaining steady stocks particularly challenging. Blood donations often drop over bank holiday weekends and holiday periods when people are busy and forget to Gogarty, director of blood supply for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "Our 'missing' O negative donors in the West Midlands have the power to relieve the pressure on supplies of this vital blood type."If you are O negative and haven't given blood in a while, please book an appointment to donate today. Don't hesitate - patients need you now."Our donor centres like the one in Birmingham's New Street generally have the best availability. If you can't find an appointment straight away please book further ahead or keep checking back to help fill last minute appointments or cancellations. Every donation makes a critical difference." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
NHS issues urgent warning across North West and says 'this is critical'
The NHS has appealed for thousands of "missing" blood donors to come forward amid fears of shortages of the crucial O Negative type. Figures from NHS Blood and Transplant show that some 5,463 donors in the North West region with the O Negative type made their last donation over 12 months ago. O Negative blood is particularly sought after for donations as it can be safely given to anybody. However, a number of factors mean that stocks are dwindling, and the NHS is appealing for anyone with O Negative blood to come forward. READ MORE: Urgent 48-hour 'stay at home' warning issued over 'incredibly infectious' virus READ MORE: Why the man arrested in the Liverpool parade crash can't be named Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Four bank holidays, Easter holidays, and half term have all been factors in a drop off over a six week period, with each of these seeing a drop in donations. Currently, England is on an amber alert for stocks of O type blood, meaning it is critical that donors come forward to help replenish the supply. An amber alert means that hospitals are enabled to implement emergency measures to limit blood usage and vet the use of all type O blood to preserve it for emergencies. Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: 'Our 'missing' O negative donors in the North West have the power to relieve the pressure on supplies of this vital blood type. 'If you are O negative and haven't given blood in a while, please book an appointment to donate today. Don't hesitate - patients need you now." He added: 'Our fixed donor centres generally have the best availability. If you can't find an appointment straight away please book further ahead or keep checking back to help fill last minute appointments or cancellations. "Every donation makes a critical difference.' The fact that O negative can be safely given to all blood types means it is especially useful in an emergency situation. Factors such as a patient's condition or a mass casualty event can mean there is less time to check blood type. However only eight percent of the population have this blood type, which represents around 16 percent of hospital orders. Blood has a shelf life of 365 days, so it is vital that stocks are continually replenished. Donating blood takes around an hour, and each donation could save up to three lives. Men can give blood every three months and women every four months. Anyone wishing to donate blood can visit to book an appointment, use the GiveBlood app, or call 0300 123 23 23 to find your nearest session.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
NHS issues critical appeal for Birmingham blood donors
The NHS in the West Midlands has issued a "critical" appeal for people to give blood as donations dip over the bank holiday period. People with O negative, O positive, A positive and RO blood types are particularly needed over the coming weeks. Three thousand blood donor appointments are still available to be filled at the Birmingham Donor Centre, on New Street, the NHS said. The appeal said there also remained an ongoing need for more donors of black heritage to help patients with sickle cell disease who need ethnically matched blood. Four bank holidays in just six weeks could push supply to critical levels, said the body's Blood and Transplant department. A spokesperson said: "Blood donations often drop over bank holiday weekends, and with Easter falling late this year, four bank holidays in just six weeks have placed increased pressure on blood stocks."England currently remains in Amber alert for low stocks of O negative and O positive blood. "The need for blood never stops," said Gerry Gogarty, director of Blood Supply at NHS Blood and Transplant. "We are extremely grateful to everyone who has donated so far this year, but we must act now to avoid falling has a shelf life of 35 days, and platelets only seven days, so it is vital stocks are constantly replenished, the organisation said. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Urgent NHS blood donor appeal in worst shortage ever - full list of areas in need
NHS Blood and Transplant issues appeal for 53,000 donors during unprecedented Amber Alert as banks holidays leave health service short of lifesaving supplies The NHS is facing its longest ever shortage of lifesaving blood stocks and has issued an emergency appeal for donations. The alert covering England has now been in place for nine months and is thought to be linked to changing post-pandemic habits and more people working from home. It is only the second time an Amber Alert has been initiated with the first one lasting just one month in 2022. NHS Blood and Transplant needs 5,000 donations every day and is today issuing the urgent appeal to Mirror readers to fill 53,000 unfilled appointment slots over the next six weeks. The health service is particularly struggling following the Easter break and during the month of May which also has two bank holidays. Donations tend to be much lower during warm weather and public holidays. The Mirror launched the Give a Pint, Save a Life campaign to help blood stocks recover after the Covid-19 pandemic amid ongoing shortages. One donation can save up to three lives. The NHS has a particular need for blood donors who are O negative, B negative, O positive and A positive. Gerry Gogarty, blood supply director at NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), told the Mirror: 'With two bank holidays and the half term holiday coming up, we urge people to help fill available blood and platelet donation appointments at our donor centres in major towns and cities across the country over coming days and weeks to help boost blood stocks. 'We often see a decline in donations during bank holidays and school holidays, which combined with the recent warmer weather, can lead to challenges in maintaining sufficient blood supplies. Despite the holidays, the need for blood does not stop and we need 5,000 donations a day to meet the needs of hospitals and patients – whether for emergencies or those in need of regular transfusions as part of their treatment for cancer or blood conditions, like sickle cell disease.' Blood stockpiles are depleted meaning supplies for such large transfusions are less likely to be quickly available to hospitals and ambulance paramedics. NHSBT believes donations are low due to lifestyle changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The main one being the shift towards working from home. Previously many commuters would give blood at town and city centre donor centres on their lunch break. Blood is constantly needed to help the NHS treat patients with cancer, blood disorders and those suffering medical trauma or undergoing surgery. O negative blood is known as the universal blood type because it is compatible for patients with all blood types and so is mostly used for emergency care. An Amber Alert means blood stock levels are significantly reduced, requiring hospitals to implement measures to conserve blood and prioritise its use for essential cases. It is usually triggered when blood stock levels fall below a certain threshold, usually around two days' supply for specific blood. NHS elective surgeries and other non-urgent procedures can be delayed when blood stocks are low. Waits for routine operations had been on an upward trajectory for over a decade from 2010 when the Tories came to power - when the elective waiting list in England stood at 2.5 million appointments. The waiting list hit a record high in September 2023, with 7.77 million treatments. The backlog has since dropped under Labour to 7.4 million in April but remain stubbornly high, made up of 6.2 million individual people waiting for at least one treatment. The NHS operates a complex system to ensure it has the right mix of blood types available across the whole country. Recent years have seen increasing demand as more people live with conditions which require regular transfusions to stay alive. One is sickle cell disease which is the fastest growing genetic disorder in Britain with more than 15,000 sufferers. The NHS aims for 5,000 donations a day to meet hospital demand but holidays and hot weather can both prevent the service from hitting these targets meaning blood stocks can drop. The Mirror is calling on readers to come to the aid of the NHS and help its long recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Some existing donors, and donors of high priority blood types, may see more appointment availability than new donors or donors with less needed blood types when checking online. There is also a need to boost platelet stocks, which can only be held for seven days, rather than the 35 days of whole blood. Platelets are used particularly for cancer treatment. City donor centres are likely to have more availability than smaller town or village clinics. Last week Manchester was still showing it had over 4,000 slots to fill at its two centres by mid-June, while over 3,000 donors were needed in Bristol. Almost 3,000 slots were unfilled in Birmingham and over 2,000 in Nottingham. Centres with appointment slots to fill are in Birmingham Bradford Bristol Cambridge Leeds Leicester Liverpool London Luton Manchester Newcastle Nottingham Plymouth Sheffield Earlier this year NHS England launched a new drive to recruit younger blood donors after the number of 17 to 24 year olds signed up halved. Experts fear Millennials and Gen Zs are moving away from seeing blood donation as a worthwhile thing to do. NHS Blood and Transplant released data showing over-45s now make up more than half of blood donors, overtaking 17 to 44 year olds. 'Please go online or use our app to find the next available appointment. Each donation takes just an hour and can help save up to three lives," Gerry Gogarty added. To book an appointment to donate visit use the GiveBlood app or call 0300 123 23 23.
