NHS asking blood donors to make appointments this summer

Blood donors are reminded to give blood throughout the summer to help those who need it most.

Regular donations are vital because stocks are more vulnerable at this time of year, and donations can only be stored for 35 days.

While many people think that blood is used mainly for accidents and emergencies, donated blood is vital for a wide variety of life-saving procedures.

The blood you donate is used to treat critically ill patients, whether they have had cancer, a blood disorder, been in an accident, or if they lost blood in surgery or childbirth.

Each donation can save the lives of up three people.

Hospitals across England and North Wales need more than 6,000 blood donations every day to treat patients and rely on blood being available 365 days a year.

Every blood donation is vital, but NHS Blood and Transplant particularly needs to ensure supplies of the universal blood group O Rh Negative which is often in short supply as demand is so great.

Supplies of the rarer blood groups A Rh Negative, B Rh Negative and AB Rh Negative are also needed, as these are also vulnerable to shortfall.

You can still travel to donate as giving blood and platelets is essential to the NHS and vulnerable patients.

In general, as long as you are fit and healthy, weigh over 7 stone 12 lbs (50kg) and are aged between 17 and 66 (up to 70 if you have given blood before) you should be able to give blood.

If you are over 70, you need to have given blood in the last two years to continue donating.

New eligibility rules that allow more men who have sex with men to donate blood, platelets and plasma came into effect this week (starting 14 June).

Eligibility will be based on individual circumstances surrounding health, travel and sexual behaviours evidenced to be at a higher risk of sexual infection.

Donors will no longer be asked if they are a man who has had sex with another man, removing the element of assessment that is based on the previous population-based risks.

Instead, any individual who attends to give blood - regardless of gender - will be asked if they have had sex and, if so, about recent sexual behaviours.

Anyone who has had the same sexual partner for the last three months will be eligible to donate.

To see the local sessions that are running this summer, please visit:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/search?searchtype=text&searchvalue=donate+blood