IBTS launches Christmas blood donation awareness campaign

Sunday 6th December 2015

The IBTS is concerned that blood supplies will be difficult between now and the Christmas – New Year period and is urging donors to make a special effort to give blood during this time.  The IBTS requires 12,500 donor attendances before the end of the year – an additional 750 donor attendances per week.

“Traditionally holiday periods and especially the lead into the Christmas/New Year festivities present significant difficulties in sustaining the blood supply. The blood supply is currently at 5-6 days across the main blood groups and increasing this will require a special effort from donors over the coming weeks, said IBTS Operations Director, Paddy Bowler.

“We want to thank donors who supported us in the last 3 weeks.  We have now reintroduced the former haemoglobin measurement technology across all clinics so all blood donors are now welcome to attend, particularly female donors who donated between June 30th 2014 and Nov 13th 2015. We also want to keep encouraging men and new donors to keep rolling up their sleeves in the run up to Christmas.

“We are running additional clinics in the lead up to Christmas including today Sunday Dec 6th in Raheny and Castletroy in Limerickand Sunday Dec 20th, Sunday Dec 27th and Sunday Jan 3rd  across all areas of the country. 

Clinic details can be obtained on www.giveblood.ie

ENDS

Note to Editor - Some facts about blood

  • Over 1,000 people receive transfusions every week in Ireland
  • Only 3% of the Irish population give blood, providing blood for a population of over 4 million
  • You can give blood every 90 days
  • People undergoing treatment for cancer are regularly transfused
  • The most common blood group in Ireland is O positive (47% of the population)
  • The rarest blood group in Ireland is AB negative (1% of the population)
  • The most common blood group is O, accounting for about 46% of the world's population. However, in some areas other blood groups predominate, in Norway for example, type A is the most prevalent
  • People in the West of Ireland are predominantly of blood group O
  • There is a higher concentration of Group A blood in counties which historically received Viking, Anglo Norman and English population settlements
  • There are more people with Rhesus negative blood on the East coast than the West