Health chiefs have revealed Scotland’s pool of blood donors has shrunk to its lowest level this century.
Just 3% of eligible people currently give blood – and more than half of them haven’t made a donation in the last year.
The service needs 3,300 donors every week to keep stock levels safe, but there are now more people retiring than there are registering.
Bosses are encouraging new blood to sign up to the scheme – with a particular focus on men, and people with A and O blood types.
473 donors needed every day
Scotland has around 92,000 people on the blood donation register who currently donate – less than 3% of the total eligible population.
And of them, just half have visited a donation centre in the last year.
Bosses have revealed there are 14,700 people on the Aberdeen panel, but just over 4,000 visited to give blood in 2021.
The list also includes 3,300 people who’ve registered online and never donated.
Further north, the blood transfusion service is desperate for younger donors to get involved.
Fewer than 1,000 people who gave blood in the Highlands this year were under the age of 30.
Lowest donor numbers on record
Dr Sylvia Armstrong-Fisher, who heads up donor services for north Scotland, said: “During the pandemic, NHS Scotland relied on commitment from existing donors who gave very regularly.
“However, alongside the natural lifecycle of blood donors retiring every day, this led to the community of active donors shrinking to its lowest level since records began.”
Extra appointments have opened to get more people through the doors and in June the rules changed, allowing more gay and bisexual men to donate.
To book an appointment call 0345 90 90 999 or visit the Scotblood website.
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