Overview

• NHS Blood and Transplant has identified 1,197 eligible donors in the West Midlands and 1,763 in the North West as stocks of B negative approach critically low levels.
• B negative blood makes up just 2 per cent of the population, leaving its supply highly vulnerable to demand fluctuations.
• Patients with B negative type can only receive B negative or O negative blood, which means shortages could increase pressure on universal O negative emergency reserves.
• The number of active B negative donors has dropped by around 1,000 since 2023, leaving fewer than 20,000 regular donors nationwide.
• NHS is offering priority access to appointments and urging family members—who are 30 per cent more likely to share the rare type—to register and donate.