NHS BLOOD and Transplant service has praised the public for an ‘overwhelming’ response to its donor recruitment drive.
More than 30,000 people registered as donors during the Missing Type campaign as part of National Blood Donor week – 20,000 more than last year.
The Missing Type campaign aimed to draw public attention to the fact that 40 per cent fewer new donors came forward last year compared to a decade ago.
While blood stocks are currently good, if not enough new people donate blood and these ‘types’ were to go missing in years to come, there wouldn’t be enough blood available when patients need it in future.
Jon Latham, NHS Blood and Transplant’s assistant director for donor services and marketing, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everybody in Merseyside who responded to our Missing Type campaign by either helping to spread the word or by signing up to donate.
“We are thrilled that more than 30,000 people across England and North Wales committed to save lives by registering as a blood donor.
“We hope that the thousands of people who registered will now go on to book an appointment and become regular donors and that the organisations who backed the campaign will continue to help us promote blood donation.
Anyone over 17-years-old can visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 for more.