“It’s not that the hospitals require more blood but that we find that fewer people are coming to donate”, she says.
She used the example of the run up to Christmas as being such a busy time for people who even though it’s something that they normally do, it might not be something high on their priority list.
Shortages are in the O-negative blood group which is the universal blood type. The other group that usually suffers from low supply is B-negative which is found in communities from ethnic backgrounds.
Amy Evans is a blood donor who made note that there is a need for an increase in raising awareness. “When I started no one came up to me it was on my own back, there was no stand that I went to or people who came and told me”, she says.
You can listen to the full interview here NHS Blood Donor Awareness.
Visit the blood donor website for the full statistics and information on which bloods are in need as well as current stocks.