Blood supplies in Liverpool are falling after The Beast from the East caused regular donors to cancel appointments. Extreme weather conditions including snow, ice and gale force winds has left the NHS unable to collect their usual amount of blood.
Across England hospitals need 6000 units every day to treat patients in need. Following the bad weather, which saw some parts of the region drop to temperatures as low as -10, the NHS is appealing for blood and platelet donors to come forward to stop the shortfall.
A NHS Blood Transplant spokesman said: “We are asking A+ and A- platelet donors who have booked appointments to do all they can to keep them, if safe and possible to do so. It’s crucial that those with appointments attend so that the hospitals can replenish their donated blood stock.
“Platelets only have a shelf life of five days…it’s vital that stocks are replenished daily across to meet the demand from hospitals.”
Blood donors are also being asked to help boost blood stocks in Liverpool as severe weather grips the country. Doctors are asking donors to walk into fixed site centres to donate, without the need to make an appointment, including Liverpool Donor Centre at Moorfields on Dale Street.
An NHS Blood Transplant spokesman has said that all donors are welcome, but they are particularly appealing to those who have donated before as their blood group is already known.
“We can therefore make sure we collect enough of each blood group to ensure stocks pick up – it will take time to recover stocks, so we are urging donors who cannot travel to make an appointment over the next two weeks.”
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