Sheffield blood donors urged to make an appointment this summer to meet demand

Blood donors in Sheffield are being urged by the NHS to make and keep an appointment to donate over the critical summer months, as demand for blood rises.
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Extra appointments have been added at Sheffield donor centre to help meet this demand.

Right now, there is a particular need for more donors with certain blood types, though all types remain in demand.

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Dominic Sutherland, of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We want all patients to get the lifesaving blood they need. As hospitals restore services, the demand for blood is rising faster than expected and against the backdrop of people enjoying greater freedoms, warmer weather, and summer holidays we need to build stocks.”

Giving blood.Giving blood.
Giving blood.

Extra Covid-19 safety measures are in place across all blood donation sessions.

All donors are triaged with a temperature check on arrival. Hand gels and hand washing facilities are available, donors are spaced apart and staff are doing extra cleaning. Staff and donors wear face coverings.

NHS Blood and Transplant has implemented landmark new individualised eligibility criteria for blood donation which allows many more people to donate while keeping blood just as safe (5).

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Anyone who has had the same sexual partner for the last three months is now eligible to donate providing other eligibility criteria are met. In particular, this change will enable more people from the LGBT+ community to donate.

Sheffield’s permanent donor centre is at Cathedral Court, Church Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2GN.

Book appointments and check the latest guidance on Covid-19 and giving blood by visiting the website blood.co.uk, calling 0300 123 23 23, or downloading the NHS Give Blood app.

Donors are reminded to follow all relevant Government transport guidance when making a journey to give blood.

The certain types of blood donor needed are:

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O negative donors – the universal blood type (1) – are the lifeblood of the emergency services and donations are always needed.

O positive blood is the most frequently requested from hospitals (2), while A positive is the second most common blood type (3).

B negative is one of the rarest blood types (4). It is hard to find people with this blood type, so B negative donors are needed to keep stocks up and help patients.

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