The IBTS is seeking 15,000 new donors in 2024 to ensure the stability of the National blood supply.
The demand for blood is constant and on any given day 200 patients receive transfusions in Irish hospitals. We supply blood products 365 days a year and we issued blood and platelets for transfusion to hospitals over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. We now need to urgently replenish these stocks, so we are urging existing and new donors please to give a priceless gift this New Year, the gift of blood, “said IBTS Director of Donor Services and Logistics, Paul McKinney.
”The IBTS needs an additional 15,000 new donors this year and every year to ensure the National blood supply remains secure and stable. We particularly need new donors and donors with D negative blood types that is A, B and O negative (the Universal blood group). I would ask people who have not donated before to please consider starting this year and make it your New Years resolution to become a blood donor. By doing so you will save or improve someone else’s life. We are also asking people of African Heritage to become blood donors , which will help us to diversify our donor pool and better match blood for specific patients,” he added.
All Clinic locations, dates and times are on our website www.giveblood.ie. Existing donors are encouraged to book online on our appointment system and new donors are asked to register their interest.
Blood lasts just 35 days
Blood for new born must be less than 5 days old
Donors with O negative blood are known as universal donors and make up 16% of all blood issued
The IBTS needs 3,000 blood donations a week to keep hospitals supplied
This year we introduced malarial antibody testing for the first time and we encourage donors of African heritage to become donors as we diversify the National blood supply to match our ever changing multicultural Irish society.
The previous UK residency ban (because of vCJD) has been lifted since 2019 and we would encourage previous donors who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 to return and donate once again.