Latest news with #GerryGogarty
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Donations of rare blood type 'urgently needed' in South East
The NHS has pleaded for donations of a rare blood type, saying supplies are at risk of "running low". Some 2,500 eligible B negative donors in the south-east of England have been asked by the health service to boost stocks, which are currently "under pressure". More people with this type of blood have also been urged by the NHS to come forward as donors. NHS director of blood supply Gerry Gogarty said: "B negative donors are immensely important to our lifesaving work... it can be a challenge to always collect enough." Supplies were at one of the lowest points in recent years due to a shrinking donor base - following a loss of 1,000 donors since 2023 - and recent high demand, the NHS two per cent of the population has B negative blood, making it one of the rarest types, according to the NHS. Patients with the B negative blood type can only receive B negative or O negative blood, meaning that low stocks can also strain emergency supplies of this other blood across England need more than 5,000 blood donations every day, the NHS supplies are needed for a wide variety of reasons, including traumatic injuries or accidents, cancer treatments, sickle cell and childbirth, it continued. Mr Gogarty urged potential donors to book an appointment, use the GiveBlood app or call 0300 123 23 23.
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Huge surge in blood donations as NHS faces Red Alert and dangerously low stocks
Mirror appeal sparks 100,000 blood donations to stop routine operations having to be cancelled due to NHS shortages More than 100,000 appointments to give blood were booked in the week after the Mirror spearheaded an urgent appeal for donations. Our front page last week revealed a million people need to give blood to avoid a first ever Red Alert as the NHS struggles with dangerously low stocks. NHS Blood and Transplant said it is going through its worst ever shortage and around 200,000 more donors are needed in England to stabilise blood supply. Routine transfusions for cancer patients and women after childbirth which aid recovery are among those which may be halted if a Red Alert is declared. In the week after the appeal over 29,000 people registered as new blood donors and over 100,000 appointments were booked. Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply, said: "We are extremely grateful to the support of the Daily Mirror which played a significant part in generating this response from so many thousands of people across the country. 'We are so grateful for the response we have seen from new and existing donors across the country over this past week. Over 29,000 new donors registered and 100,000 booked appointments is an incredible response. 'However, with 50,000 appointments in need of filling each week, we urge people not to lose this momentum. As we head into the summer, we still have many appointments available to book – with 50,000 donor centre appointments still available over the next six weeks.' A Red Alert would mean less than one day's blood stocks are available and must be prioritised for immediately life threatening cases. The NHS aims to have six days' stock at any one time but currently has around three days' supply. It comes after the Mirror launched the Give a Pint, Save a Life campaign to help blood stocks recover after the Covid-19 pandemic amid ongoing shortages. One donation can save up to three lives. The NHS remains in its longest ever Amber Alert for low blood stocks which was declared last July. Red Alert which would mean demand far exceeds capacity, threatening public safety and causing widespread surgery postponements. Donations have been falling in part due to changing habits as more people work from home since the pandemic. Most available donation slots are at larger town and city centres. Of the 29,000 people who registered last week, 1,000 were from a Black heritage background. This is crucial because sickle cell disease is the country's fastest growing inherited blood disorder and it disproportionately affects Black African and Black Caribbean communities. Around 250 babies a year are born with the condition in the UK over 13,000 sickle cell patients currently rely on regular blood transfusions. The best matched blood will often come from donors of the same ethnicity. The NHS needs around 250 donations per day from Black heritage donors in order to meet current need and demand continues to grow. Mr Gogarty said: 'While we have seen a great response to our calls for more Black heritage donors to sign up to become blood donors, there remains an urgent need for more to register and give, as the demand for blood continues to grow.' Sickle cell disease is when red blood cells are sickle shaped rather than circular. This leads to agonising blockages that damage organs and can lead to blindness or a fatal stroke. These sickle cell 'crises' are so painful that more severely affected patients can be prescribed morphine - more typically given during end of life care - just to get them through the day. NHS Blood and Transplant needs over 17,000 regular donors of Black heritage to help meet growing demand for sickle cell patients. More than half of donors of Black heritage are likely to have the Ro blood type, compared with just 2.4% of other ethnicities. Aliya Gladyng from Sydenham, relies on regular six-weekly blood transfusions to help manage her sickle cell disease. She said: 'As an exchange patient, I receive blood transfusions every six weeks. Each time, I have eight units taken out of my body and eight more units of donated blood put back in. This means I need around 70 bags of blood every year. Please donate blood. You really have no idea how much it helps people like me.' The NHS needs over 5,000 blood donations every day - or around 1.8 million a year in England. This requires around one million donors who regularly donate to help maintain a reliable blood supply. Mr Gogarty added: 'We very much hope that people who have registered, booked or donated for the first time over this past week, will become regular donors to help stabilise blood stocks and more people will continue to keep coming forward to help us save more lives in the future.' To register as a blood donor with the NHS you can sign up online through the NHS Give Blood website or by downloading the NHS Give Blood app. You can also sign up by calling 0300 123 23 23. Once registered, you can book your appointment online, through the app or by calling.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Fantastic' response to Hull boy's appeal for more blood donors
The number of people offering blood donations has gone up after a television appeal involving a four-year-old Hull has a genetic condition known as Spherocytosis, which requires blood transfusions every 12 weeks and he appeared with his mum, Jasmin, on BBC Breakfast on Monday asking for more donors to come the broadcast, the NHS Blood and Transplant unit said it had seen a 200% uplift in calls to its bookings Gogarty, director of blood supply, said the response had been "fantastic" but added: "We have many more appointments still to fill over the coming days, weeks and months, particularly in major towns and cities." Jasmin said she was pleased with the impact of the appeal."As soon as we came away from the interview I had friends and family messaging me with screenshots that they were trying to sign up to donate blood," she said."As a result of the interview there was a 40-minute wait just to get in the queue to get on the site."Spherocytosis affects the red blood cells, causing severe describes his regular transfusions as "super hero" blood as they make him feel well as promoting the need for blood donors, Jasmin said their TV appearance had also raised awareness of the said there had been a positive responses in online support groups from families with somebody who has Spherocytosis."It's something that not a lot of people have ever heard of," she said."It's just great to raise awareness of it and signs and symptoms to look for and to get the name over."Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Urgent call for south London blood donors amid 'slump' after bank holidays
NHS Blood and Transplant is asking South Londoners to help fill a donation shortfall caused by recent bank holidays. There are hundreds of appointments available at Brixton Donor Centre, with 1,000 slots needing to be filled each week to meet demand. The high number of bank holidays, combined with the start of the half-term break, has increased pressure on blood stocks. The NHS is particularly keen to see new and lapsed donors return. Brixton Donor Centre welcomes life-saving donors to South London (Image: NHS) Gerry Gogarty, director of blood supply at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "The need for blood never stops. "We are extremely grateful to everyone who has donated so far this year, but we must act now to avoid falling behind. "To avoid facing a 'spring slump' in donations, we urgently need donors to book an appointment today – and help us fill appointments over the weeks ahead. "If you can't find an appointment straightaway, please book further ahead or keep checking back to help fill last-minute availability or cancellations. "Each donation has the power to save up to three lives." There is a particular need for donors of black heritage to meet the growing need for blood to treat sickle cell, the country's fastest-growing inherited blood disorder, which predominantly affects black communities. Black heritage donors are 10 times more likely than the white population to have the specific Ro blood type used to treat sickle cell patients. Around 1,300 black donors a month are needed to provide life-saving transfusions to sickle cell patients, as well as for use in emergencies, childbirth, during surgery, cancer treatments, and other medical conditions. Brixton Donor Centre, which opened in December 2024, has had 7 per cent of all donations with the in-demand Ro subtype, compared with 2 per cent nationally. South Londoners with O negative, O positive and A positive blood types are also being encouraged to donate, as these blood groups are in high demand. Brixton Blood Donor Centre manager Rexford Osei-Bonsu said: "I'm immensely proud of the thousands of people who have given blood in Brixton, but the holidays have meant that we need more people to come forward. "Giving blood is easy and painless and takes about an hour of your time to make a life-saving difference." Appointments can be made by calling 0300 123 2323 or visiting "We have the capacity to deliver more than 1,000 appointments a week and are happy to work round your availability, whether that's on your way to work, during your lunch break or as you head home."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Urgent plea for O negative blood donors
The NHS has warned that supplies of O negative blood in the West Midlands are "critically low", as it urges people to donate. NHS Blood and Transplant has revealed there are 4,033 donors in the region with the O negative blood type whose last donation was more than 12 months ago. It is calling on these donors to come forward urgently to help the NHS rebuild supplies, after a combination of factors have left this blood type under particular pressure. England remains on amber alert for low stocks of O type blood. The NHS said four bank holidays, the Easter holidays and half-term break all falling within a six-week period had made maintaining steady stocks particularly challenging. Blood donations often drop over bank holiday weekends and holiday periods when people are busy and forget to donate. Gerry Gogarty, director of blood supply for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "Our 'missing' O negative donors in the West Midlands have the power to relieve the pressure on supplies of this vital blood type. "If you are O negative and haven't given blood in a while, please book an appointment to donate today. Don't hesitate - patients need you now. "Our donor centres like the one in Birmingham's New Street generally have the best availability. If you can't find an appointment straight away please book further ahead or keep checking back to help fill last minute appointments or cancellations. Every donation makes a critical difference." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Bank holidays putting strain on blood donations Giving blood linked to lower risk of pre-cancer gene Blood donor who started at 17 gives 150th pint NHS: Give Blood
