NHS Blood and Transplant needs your help. There is an upcoming blood donation session at Best Western Smokies Park Hotel, Oldham on Monday 26th July, with lots of available appointments. You could help by booking an appointment to donate blood today!
We are working closely with the rest of the NHS to keep supplying lifesaving blood to hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic and we need people to keep donating as normal. We have extra safety measures in place and every precaution is being taken to eliminate the risk of COVID-19 transmission at our blood donation sessions. Having an appointment to give blood is classed as essential travel and will be exempt from any local or national travel restrictions.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic donors are also specifically needed right now, because:
• Some patients who receive frequent blood transfusions need blood to be closely matched to their own
• A number of blood conditions, like sickle cell disease which is treated through blood transfusions, most commonly affect black, Asian and minority ethnic people
• The best match typically comes from blood donors from the same ethnic background
While people from all communities and backgrounds do give blood, fewer than 5% of our blood donors who gave blood in the last year were from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. This is despite BAME communities representing around 14% of the population. We want to try and readdress this balance.
Whether you are a new or regular donor, please visit blood.co.uk, download the NHSGiveBlood app or call us on 0300 123 23 23 to book an appointment today.
Thank you for helping us to save lives.