Categories: Health

Blood stocks drop to ‘unprecedentedly low levels’ in England


The chief executive of NHS Blood and Transplant, Dr Jo Farrar, said the service had an “incredible response” from donors after an earlier appeal last month.

“However, seven weeks on, the need for O negative blood in particular remains critical,” she said.

The latest data shows, external that national stocks of O negative blood are currently running at only 1.6 days in England, well below the six-day target.

The shortage is blamed in part on a ransomware attack on the pathology firm Synnovis last month.

Before a patient can be given a blood transfusion, hospitals routinely check their blood type to make sure the donated blood is compatible.

Since the cyber-attack in June, a number of major London hospitals that contracted with Synnovis, including King’s and Guy’s and St Thomas’, have not been able to run those checks as quickly as normal.

Instead doctors have been forced to use universal O-type blood, which is draining stock levels across the whole system in England.



Source link

gulftimes

Recent Posts

Erin survived cancer aged 21 – now it’s a race against time for a chance of a baby

Nail technician Erin, who missed two years of work during her cancer treatment, also has…

10 hours ago

Qusra siege eases as UN reaches trapped families, but crisis deepens in Gaza

UN teams on the ground reached the families after they were confined to their homes…

20 hours ago

Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest in DR Congo’s history

According to local authorities, the disease has killed 2,325 people, surpassing the 2,299 deaths recorded…

20 hours ago

Trump envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader to push Gaza peace plan

Whilst in Egypt, Kushner also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to Israeli media…

1 day ago

First Person: Syrians lead efforts to clear rubble and rebuild lives

The conflict there killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions, and caused severe damage…

2 days ago

Gen Z women are teaching their mums about cycle syncing and periods

Iqra Wasim from Fishponds in Bristol has struggled with PMOS symptoms such as painful acne…

2 days ago