Huge increase in Demand for Rare Blood Type in West London
Donors asked to book an appointment at the centre in Westfield
Inside the centre for blood donors at Westfield London in White City
There has been a huge increase in demand in West London for a rare blood type needed to treat a disease that disproportionately affects black people.
NHS Blood and Transplant has released details for National Blood Week [June 13 to 19] and World Sickle Cell Day [June 19] to urgently call for more people of black heritage to donate blood at Shepherd’s Bush Blood Donor Centre which is inside the Westfield Shopping Centre.
Last year, hospitals across London as a whole requested 58% more R0 blood than they did five years ago.
Hospitals serving Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster requested around 30% more Ro blood in the same time period.
Demand is expected to continue to rapidly grow. There are 662 blood donors with Ro blood at the Shepherd’s Bush Donor Centre but more are needed.
Ro is the blood type in fastest growing demand across the whole country. It is urgently needed to treat people with sickle cell disease, the fastest growing genetic disease in the UK. Both Ro blood and sickle cell are more common in people of black heritage.
Sickle cell is a genetic disorder which causes red blood cells to form into sickle or crescent shapes and become stuck in blood vessels, causing agonising crisis episodes, and serious or even fatal long term complications including organ damage and strokes.
Many people with sickle cell rely on regular blood transfusions to stay alive. This blood needs to be well matched and people of the same ethnicity are more likely to be a match.
Dr Naim Akhtar, NHSBT Consultant Haematologist and Lead in Donor Medicine, said: “Getting enough Ro blood is our biggest priority and London is the area with the most need.
“Ro is used mainly used to treat sickle cell, the most common and fastest growing genetic disorder in the UK. It mainly affects black people.
“Blood transfusions needed to closely matched, and this is most likely to come from a donor of the same ethnicity. There is a rise in black people donating blood, but we urgently need more black people in west London to become regular donors.”
Existing or previous donors play an important role at times when every appointment counts because their blood type is known and they are more likely to be able to donate successfully, helping to ensure the right volume and mix of blood types is collected.
For those who have already made an appointment there is a plea to help ensure as many donations go ahead as possible by keeping to the appointment or giving as much notice as possible (ideally seven days) if there is a need to reschedule so the slot can be offered to another donor.
You can book appointments by visiting www.blood.co.uk, calling 0300 123 23 23 or downloading the NHS Give Blood app.
If you are fit and healthy make an appointment to donate. If you need to reschedule please give as much notice as possible so the place can be offered to another donor. Give blood and help save or improve up to three lives.
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June 20, 2022