Overview

• England remains under an amber alert for low blood supplies, with O negative and O positive types in particularly critical demand.
• The NHS is calling for 5,000 daily donations to meet hospital needs for trauma, cancer, sickle cell, and maternity care.
• Recent bank holidays have caused a seasonal slump, with over 50,000 appointments available nationally in the next six weeks.
• Donors with O negative, O positive, A positive, Ro types, and those of Black heritage are urgently needed for matched transfusions.
• Blood has a short shelf life—35 days for whole blood and seven days for platelets—making consistent donations essential.