Blood donation: key challenges
NHS Blood and Transport (NHSBT) is the sole supplier of blood to the NHS in England yet, despite being part of the NHS, many nurses know little about it, how it functions, the challenges it faces and the nursing roles within it. But there is much that colleagues in the wider NHS could do on a daily basis to help NHSBT meet some of the challenges to ensure we have a safe, continued supply of blood and blood components.
Each year, NHSBT needs to recruit 135 000 new donors to replace those who are no longer able or do no wish to donate for a range of reasons. Every day we need up to 5000 people to donate blood to fulfil hospitals' demands to meet patients' needs. We must collect the right mix of blood groups and components in order to supply hospitals with their requirements for red cells, platelets and plasma.
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