NHS urges B negative blood donors in East of England to come forward
It follows a fall in stocks, including in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
The NHS is appealing to more than 1,600 eligible B negative blood donors in the East of England to book appointments to give blood, as stocks of the rare blood type face pressure due to reduced donor numbers and increased demand.
According to NHS Blood and Transplant, there are currently 1,649 B negative donors in the region who are eligible to donate, with enough time having passed since their last contribution.
These individuals are now being contacted directly and asked to make an appointment to help maintain blood supplies.
B negative is one of the rarest blood types, found in just 2% of the population. Patients with this type can only receive B negative or O negative blood. As a result, low B negative supplies can place additional pressure on O negative stocks, which are critical for emergency use.
NHS Blood and Transplant reports that the number of active B negative donors has declined significantly, with 1,000 fewer donors compared to 2023. Fewer than 20,000 people with B negative blood now donate regularly.
Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “B negative donors are immensely important to our lifesaving work but as one of the rarest blood types, it can be a challenge to always collect enough.
“Right now B negative stocks are at risk of running low. With a blood type this rare, 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 urgently need existing B negative donors to make an appointment to donate and more people with this blood type to become regular donors and help secure the life-saving supply of blood to patients in the weeks, months and years ahead.
“If you are a B negative donor and can’t find an appointment at a session 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.”
The NHS is also encouraging family members of people with B negative blood to consider donating, as they are statistically 30% more likely to share the same type.
New donors who already know they are B negative can now indicate their blood type when registering. This allows NHS Blood and Transplant to prioritise appointment availability where needed.
Hospitals in England require more than 5,000 blood donations each day to treat patients with a variety of conditions, including traumatic injuries, cancer, sickle cell disease, and complications during childbirth.
In addition to B negative, NHS Blood and Transplant also reports a continued need for donors with O negative and RO blood types.
Donating blood typically takes around an hour, and each unit donated can help save up to three lives. Men can donate every 12 weeks and women every 16 weeks.
Appointments can be made by visiting www.blood.co.uk, using the GiveBlood app, or calling 0300 123 23 23.