NHS Blood Supplies Running Low Amid Donor Shortage

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has issued an urgent call for more blood donors “to stabilise the nation’s blood supply,” warning that stocks of O-negative red cells are nearing red-alert status.

NHSBT said there was an annual shortfall of 200,000 donors needed to meet growing demand.

Dr Jo Farrar, the body’s chief executive, said that maintaining stocks over the past 12 months had been “challenging.”

Cyberattack Led to Acute Shortage

The supply problem was exacerbated by last summer’s ransomware attack on several London hospitals. The disruption to cross-matching procedures forced clinicians to rely on O-negative blood. This blood type is known as the “universal donor” because it can be given to patients of any blood group without triggering a transfusion reaction.

Just 8% of the population has O-negative blood but it accounts for 16% of hospital demand.

As the ransomware threat unfolded, NHSBT shut down multiple IT systems as a precautionary measure. This led to major disruptions in blood collection and transport. Several London hospitals declared critical incidents, cancelled surgeries and tests, and faced transfusion delays.

Blood Stocks Remain Critically Low

NHSBT said stocks have yet to recover, with current levels strained by a recent series of bank holidays falling in quick succession.

NHSBT aims to maintain 6 days’ stock of red blood cells.

As of 9 AM on 9 June, supplies of O-, B-, AB-, O+, and A+ all fell below that threshold, with O- at just 3.4 days.

Only A-, B+, and AB+ blood types registered more than 6 days of stock.

A letter sent to senior managers and practitioners on 21 May warned that the ongoing amber alert for group O red cells could escalate to a red alert. A pre-amber alert remains in place for group B D-negative red cells.

The letter urged adherence to the National Blood Transfusion Committee’s red cell shortage plan which was updated in October 2024.

Call for 1 Million Active Donors

To meet NHS demand safely, NHSBT said it needs 1 million regular blood donors. However, its most recent analysis showed participation fell short by over 200,000.

Despite an increase in new donor registrations over the past year, only 24% of registrants went on to give blood. Currently, just 2% of the population is supporting the country’s blood supply.

In support of National Blood Week (9-15 June), NHSBT urged people to join “the country’s largest volunteering force” by donating blood.

Focus on Donors With Ro Subtype

NHSBT highlighted a critical need for more donors of Black Caribbean and Black African heritage. Around half of people in these groups have the Ro subtype, vital for treating sickle cell disease, the UK’s fastest-growing genetic blood disorder.

In a press release, Health Minister Baroness Merron said: “The NHS is in urgent need of more lifesaving blood donors from all backgrounds. We are working alongside NHSBT to make donating blood easier than ever before, opening up new donor centres and making appointments available closer to home.”

Dr Sheena Meredith is an established medical writer, editor, and consultant in healthcare communications, with extensive experience writing for medical professionals and the general public. She is qualified in medicine and in law and medical ethics.