Nhsbt Reported That Donations Can Decrease by 10 Per Cent on Ordinary Warm Days As a Result

Health officials in the UK have issued an urgent appeal for blood donors to come forward after a "triple whammy" of surging demand, lower collection rates and hot weather hit national reserves. The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) division said increasing donor numbers will help ensure blood stocks are in a stronger position to "withstand" routine summer "shocks" to the system. The appeal follows various heatwaves across the UK, which directly affect donor eligibility, as even mildly warmer weather can reduce a donor's iron levels.

NHSBT reported that donations can decrease by 10 per cent on ordinary warm days as a result. Warm weather can also contribute to dehydration, while summer holidays, childcare responsibilities and deferrals for people returning from trips abroad continue to disrupt regular collection appointments. Meanwhile, some patients reliant on routine transfusions could require a higher volume of blood than usual due to warmer conditions, with NHSBT seeing higher demand from hospitals during the heatwaves in June and July.

Darren Bowen, assistant director for blood supply at NHSBT, said: "This summer has been a particularly challenging one for the blood service in England – with blood stocks hit by the triple whammy of hot weather, holidays and high demand from hospitals." He added: "With hot weather arriving earlier and lasting much longer than we have seen in recent years, it has resulted in lower collections along with increased demand from hospitals, with many patients reliant on regular transfusions for conditions like sickle cell needing more frequent treatment, or higher quantities of blood, than usual. We urge donors, especially those with B negative, O negative and the Ro subtype, as well as more donors of black heritage, to keep coming forward as we work to rebuild stocks. It comes as blood supply organisations across England, Canada and Australia have come together for the first time to launch a joint appeal for more donors across the three countries, as a range of pressures have impacted supplies." These include extreme weather, seasonal illness and changing donation patterns, NHSBT said.

The organisation has previously issued an urgent call for donors to fill 60,000 appointments over the summer period. NHSBT has joined forces with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and both Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec in Canada to highlight the growing demand for blood because of ageing populations leading to more people living with conditions such as cancer and sickle cell that require regular transfusions. Demand for medicines made from plasma to treat immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders and other conditions also continues to rise.

Across the three countries, blood supplies have dropped up to 30% in recent months, NHSBT added. Gerry Gogarty, director of blood and plasma supply at NHS Blood and Transplant, said with millions globally depending on blood transfusions for surgeries, trauma, cancer treatment and chronic disease, disruption to regular donation is a challenge all three countries face. Blood collection systems are vulnerable to changing weather and climate, including heatwaves in summer and cold and flu outbreaks in winter, but regular donors are the foundation of a resilient supply, Mr Gogarty said.