Appeal for urgent blood donors in run-up to Christmas in Coventry and Warwickshire - The Coventry Observer

Appeal for urgent blood donors in run-up to Christmas in Coventry and Warwickshire

Coventry Editorial 18th Dec, 2017   0

UNIVERSITY Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust is urging people to give blood to ensure stocks remain in good health over Christmas.

The Trust is supporting NHS Blood and Transplant’s call to blood donors to make and keep a date to donate in the run up to the big day.

Donors who need to cancel are asked to give three days’ notice so the slot can be opened up to someone else.

Demand for lifesaving blood doesn’t stop for Christmas, emphasises UHCW.




Last year patients at University Hospital, Coventry, received 1,337 units of lifesaving blood during December.

The Trust says many children and adults will need transfusions over the festive period as treatment for a blood condition or cancer, or due to surgery, childbirth or an accident.


Janine Beddow, Modern Matron for Blood Transfusion at UHCW NHS Trust said: “Many patients depend on lifesaving blood over Christmas, yet nationally blood stock levels can dip over the festive period as shopping, celebrations and extended public holidays mean giving blood can slip off to-do lists.

“By booking appointments to give blood this December you are helping to make sure University Hospital, the Hospital of St Cross, and other hospitals across the country can continue to treat patients over the busy festive season.”

Vulnerable groups like O negative, B negative and A negative platelets are particularly important.

It’s also important to get donations from across the country’s diverse population, as some disorders are more common in certain ethnic backgrounds and patients need to receive well matched blood, adds UHCW.

Shailesh Mistry, Regional Donor Marketing Operations Manager said: “It’s quick and easy to make, view and change appointments at www.blood.co.uk or via our mobile phone app.”

Blood is collected and distributed on a regional and national basis. Blood collected in one region is not necessarily sent to hospitals in that region.

You can also make and keep appointments by calling the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23. To download the app, search ‘NHSGiveBlood’ in the app store.

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