Residents in Ealing are being asked by the NHS Blood and Transplant to make an appointment and give blood in the next few days and weeks to help ensure hospitals have enough blood for patients this winter.
For those in Ealing, the nearest blood donation centre is located at Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush.
In order to donate blood and make an appointment, registration to the service needs to be made by clicking here.
The NHS particularly needs O and B Neg donors. The appeal follows a higher than usual number of cancellations by donors due to seasonal illnesses and holiday disruptions, as well as a rise in demand for O negative blood from hospitals.
More than half of donors who cancelled their appointments over the last seven days cited sickness as the reason in a survey. December saw the highest number of cancelled appointments of winter so far, around 16% more than in November. For every two appointments that went ahead, one more was cancelled at short notice, which the NHS then had to try to refill.
Each donation, which only takes up to 60 minutes, can save or improve up to three lives and across the country, the NHS needs 6,000 units of blood each day for patients.
David Rose, director of donor experience at NHS Blood and Transplant said: “Make a New Year’s Resolution to Give Blood and save three lives. Please book an appointment to donate in the next few days and weeks. We are seeing higher than usual cancellations by donors due to seasonal illnesses and holiday disruption. If you are fit and well,
please keep your appointment to help us build stocks.”
He added: “We particularly need O and B negative donors in the next few days and weeks to urgently increase supplies. If you are one of those donors and you don’t have a booking, please call us and we will find you a space.”
