NHS warns one million blood donors needed to avoid 'red alert' shortage

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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