Urgent call for more black male and O negative blood donors in Gloucester

The NHS is calling for more black male and O negative donors to give blood in Gloucester.

There are currently 4,795 active donors registered at the Gloucester Blood Donor Centre on London Road, of which only 27 are black men, figures from NHS Blood and Transplant show.

Despite black men making up 1.4 per cent of the overall population of Gloucester, only 0.6 per cent are registered active donors.

People from the same ethnic background are more likely to have matching blood, but the shortage of black male donors makes it harder to find the best matched blood for black hospital patients.

While black women are slightly more likely to donate in the city, with 37 active black female donors registered in Gloucester, the NHS say men are more desirable as donors for two key reason.

Why the NHS has called for more men?

The NHS said men tend to have higher levels of iron in their blood, which means they can donate more often and are more likely to be able to donate on any given day.

Women can also produce new antibodies, which make up part of the body's defence system, during pregnancy. Men do not make new antibodies.

This means men's blood can often be given to more patients and is easier to use in lifesaving products such as plasma and platelets, which are used for patients with cancer, major blood loss and burns injuries.

The NHS are also urgently looking for more O negative blood donors, the universal donor group that can be given to almost anyone.

Access to O negative blood is vital in emergencies when there is no time to test the patient's blood group.

The NHS say they are issuing more and more O negative as a proportion of their overall supply, which is why they need more donors of this type.

At the moment, only 13 per cent of donors in Gloucester are O negative - just 633 people.

If you are planning to donate as part of this drive, the NHS urge you to go to their permanent donor centre on London Road as opposed to a session in a community venue.

A NHS Blood and Transplant spokesperson said: "Blood donation saves lives but sometimes people take it for granted that the right blood will be there.

"Hospitals need more and more O negative blood as a proportion of our supplies and we need more O negative donors.

"New donors with O negative blood are the 'universal' donor type.

"The red blood cells can be given to almost anyone in any emergency.

"If you are O negative there's a one-in-three chance your relatives have this important blood type too.

The spokesperson added: "We also urgently need more new black blood donors in these key areas.

"People from the same ethnic background are more likely to have matching blood.

"However, the shortage of black donors makes it harder to find well matched blood for seriously ill black patients.

"Our donor centres are bright and modern and they are a great place to make your first donation."

During National Blood Week, June 10 to 16, the NHS is also asking people to share their stories of blood donation and transfusion to stop people taking blood for granted.

Whether you've given or received blood, please share your story for National Blood Week using the hashtags #MyBloodStory and #GiveBlood