One million blood donors needed to meet demand and avoid 'red alert' shortage, NHS warns
Officials issued an "amber alert" last year as blood stocks went low in the wake of a cyberattack on London hospitals.
Monday 9 June 2025 15:19, UK
The NHS has warned the UK needs one million regular blood donors to maintain supply and avoid a "red alert" - which means supplies are so low there is a threat to public safety.
Last July, officials issued an "amber alert" for stocks of O negative and O positive blood after cyberattacks hit London hospitals.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) said blood stocks have remained low since.
Dr Jo Farrar, NHSBT chief executive, said: "Our stocks over the past 12 months have been challenging. If we had a million regular donors, this would help keep our stocks healthy - you'd truly be one in a million.
"Please book an appointment today, experience how good it feels to save lives, and come and do it again in a few months."
The NHSBT added just 2% of the population - under 800,000 people - sustained the whole of England's blood supply over the past 12 months.
It said there is a "critical" need for more donors who have O negative blood, the universal type used in emergencies or when a patient's blood type is unknown.
It is typically carried by air ambulances and emergency vehicles - and makes up around 16% of hospital blood orders.
There is also a need for more black donors, who are more likely to have specific blood types which can help treat people with sickle cell disease.
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NHS Scotland has also launched an appeal to mark Blood Donor Week, saying the number of active donors in the country is 10% below desired levels.
Debbie McNaughton, associated director of donor and transport services at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), added in a statement: "These figures are concerning, as in line with other UK and global blood services, our donor base has not fully recovered since the pandemic."
She then noted "most of our active donors now fall into the age bracket of 55-64," and urged young people to take up donor sessions in schools and universities across Scotland.
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Health Minister Baroness Merron said: "The NHS is in urgent need of more lifesaving blood donors from all backgrounds.
"We are working alongside NHS Blood and Transplant to make donating blood easier than ever before, opening up new donor centres and making appointments available closer to home."
Women can donate blood once every four months and men can do so once every three.