Scotland's blood shortage is a problem every healthy adult can help solve
Only around 2% of eligible Scots give blood. The first amber alert in the country's history is a warning we should all take personally.
A blood donation in progress. Scotland's blood service says it needs appointments fully booked all year. · Photograph: Public domain
Most of us will never think about where the blood in a hospital fridge comes from until the day we, or someone we love, needs it. A car crash, a difficult birth, cancer treatment, major surgery – any of them can require units of blood at short notice.
That is why the amber alert issued to Scottish hospitals this week matters. It is the first in Scotland's history. It means doctors are being asked to use Group O blood only when essential. That is not a crisis yet, but it is a warning that the system has very little room left.
Two percent
The most striking number in the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service's announcement is this: only around 2% of eligible people in Scotland give blood. Hospitals need 135,000 units a year. Donor centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness have been running at around 85% of their appointments.
In other words, the gap is not huge. It is the difference between appointments being mostly booked and fully booked. A modest number of new donors – especially Group O donors – would make a real difference.
Why now?
Winter is always difficult. Illness, bad weather and the busy run-up to Christmas all mean fewer people keep their appointments. But stocks have been below target for weeks, with Group O falling below two days' supply on more than one occasion.
What we can do
Giving blood takes about an hour. It is free, safe and, for most healthy adults aged 17 and over, straightforward. In Glasgow, the donor centre is in Nelson Mandela Place, right in the city centre, and mobile sessions visit towns across the west of Scotland.
Employers can help too, by giving staff time off to donate. Universities, sports clubs, churches and community groups can organise group bookings.
A gift that matters
We talk a lot in Scotland about community and looking after one another. Giving blood is one of the most direct ways to do it. If you are able to, book an appointment this week. Someone you will never meet will be glad you did.