The NHS Blood and Transplant service were at Royal Preston Hospital on Thursday 26th January by the main lifts on the ground floor, for a special blood donation drop-in event.
And the event, which went on for four hours, proved extremely successful. On the day, there were 59 new donors registered, with 53 making appointments to give blood - an amazing conversion rate!
The more donors, the better – between October and November, NHS Blood and Transplant confirmed an Amber Alert, which saw hospitals needing to restrict the amount of blood they used.
The alert meant hospitals had to plan to protect blood stocks and ensure blood was prioritised for patients who needed it most, meaning elective surgery was postponed and it was not always possible to book patients in for routine surgery that was likely to require a transfusion.
Whilst stocks of some blood types are improving, nearly 400 new donors a day are required to meet demand. Donors from all communities and ethnic backgrounds are essential to meet the needs of all patients in England now and in the years to come.
