Urgent appeal to south Londoners to book blood donation appointments and help replenish falling stocks
NHS Blood and Transplant is urging South Londoners to book an appointment at the Brixton donor centre to help fill a donation shortfall caused by the recent bank holidays.
An unusually high number of bank holidays coming in quick succession have combined with the start of the half-term break to increase the pressure on blood stocks.
NHS Blood and Transplant particularly needs more donors of Black heritage to come forward to meet the growing need for blood to treat sickle cell – the country’s fastest growing inherited blood disorder that predominantly affects Black communities.
Black heritage donors are ten times more likely than the white population to have the specific Ro blood type used to treat sickle cell patients. London hospitals use the majority of Ro blood collected across the country to meet the needs of the record number of sickle cell patients in the capital.
Around 1,300 Black donors a month are needed to give blood to provide life-saving transfusions to sickle cell patients, as well as for use in emergencies, childbirth, during surgery, in cancer treatments and for use in other medical conditions.
Since the Brixton donor centre opened in December 2024, it has outperformed other donor centres across the country, with 7% of all donations having the in-demand Ro subtype, compared with 2% nationally.
South Londoners with O negative, O positive and A positive blood types are also being invited to make an appointment to donate, as their blood groups are in high demand.
“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 behind.
“To avoid facing a ‘spring slump’ in donations, we urgently need donors to book an appointment today – and help us fill appointments over the weeks ahead.
“If you can’t find an appointment straightaway, please book further ahead or keep checking back to help fill last minute availability or cancellations. Each donation has the power to save up to 3 lives.”
Brixton Blood Donor centre manager Rexford Osei-Bonsu said: “I’m immensely proud of the thousands of people who have given blood in Brixton, but the holidays have meant that we need more people to come forward.
“Giving blood is easy and painless and takes about an hour of your time to make a lifesaving difference. To make an appointment call 0300 123 2323 or visit: Blood.co.uk.