“With the impact of the pandemic we are not procuring enough donations to meet demand,” an NTAG circular said this week.
“Unfortunately all blood transfusion services in the UK are now experiencing difficulty with blood supply, and contingency importation may not be available.” Hospitals have been urged to take a number of steps in an attempt to limit the effects of dwindling supply, including the administration of single-unit transfusions.
“I don’t think the public realises how close we are to an alert,” one informed source said of the situation, speaking on the basis of anonymity.A number of measures have been taken to improve supply. In a reversal of pandemic caution, healthcare staff can once again donate, while the deferral period for Covid-19 infected donors has been revised down from 14 days post-recovery to seven.
However, with as many as one in five donors not showing up to appointments, primarily due to the high rate of Covid, the IBTS warned this was having a cumulative effect on blood collection.