Need for blood donors has never been greater (From Northwich Guardian)

Need for blood donors has never been greater

12:40pm Thursday 11th February 2010 in

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NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is appealing to the public to give blood now to save lives this winter – and asking them to take a friend, colleague or family member along too.

A record high in organ transplantation was matched with increasing numbers of people signing up to give blood last year.

But the need for more donors has never been greater, with 7,000 blood donations needed daily and more than 10,000 people across the UK now needing a donated organ.

Last year (April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009) saw 3,504 organ transplants carried out across the UK, an eight per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

In addition, an extra 245,000 people registered to become blood donors, halting a five-year decline in the English and North Wales donor base.

But with a constant need for blood and increasing numbers of people being listed for organ transplant, the need for more people to donate is greater than ever.

There are 1.4m registered blood donors in England and North Wales but around 200,000 give up every year for various reasons including medical conditions and pregnancy, so there is a continuous need to attract new donors.

I encourage would like to encourage young people to start giving blood and to keep donating throughout their adult life.

There is no better way to help support our NHS.

GRAHAM EVANS Conservative PPC, Weaver Vale