THE Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is urging people in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester to give blood this December to ensure blood stocks stay healthy 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 Christmas. 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. Last year patients at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust received over 1,133 units of lifesaving blood during December.
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.
Dr Allameddine, clinical lead for Haematology and Transfusion at the 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 making and keeping an appointment to give blood this December you are helping to make sure The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and other hospitals can continue to treat patients over the busy festive season.”
All blood groups are being asked to make and keep their lifesaving appointment in the run up to and over Christmas, but 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. People from the same ethnic background are more likely to have matching blood types.
Richard Shortland, NHS Blood and Transplant’s Head of Donor Marketing Operations for the region, said: “We are really grateful for the support of The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust as we need our loyal donors in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester more than ever at this time of year to help us meet increased demand for lifesaving blood over the festive period.
“Please make and keep a date to donate in December. If you need to cancel please give us at least three days’ notice so we can open up the appointment to another donor.
“It’s quick and easy to make, view and change appointments at www.blood.co.uk or via our mobile phone app.”
