Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
The NHS is urging people across the South West with the rare B negative blood type to donate as national supplies fall to one of the lowest levels seen in recent years.
A total of 1,497 B negative donors in the region are currently eligible to give blood but have not yet booked appointments, according to NHS Blood and Transplant. The service has issued a direct appeal, warning that a shortage of this rare type is placing pressure on the wider blood supply system.
Only around two per cent of the population have B negative blood. Patients with this type can only receive blood from B negative or O negative donors, meaning that a drop in supply can affect not only routine care but also emergency stock levels.
The number of active B negative donors has dropped by more than 1,000 since 2023, with fewer than 20,000 people nationwide currently giving this blood type regularly.
“B negative donors are immensely important to our lifesaving work but…
