Urgent call for blood donors

Key points

• Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has issued an urgent appeal for 16,000 donors this week, as its blood reserves have fallen to their lowest level in almost a decade. A prolonged cold and flu season has left more than 1,200 donor chairs empty each day across the country.
• Lifeblood chief customer officer Cath Stone said donations are not keeping pace with hospital demand, particularly for type O blood. Donors must be symptom-free for seven days, so even minor illness prevents people from giving blood.
• Demand is rising because of an ageing population and increased cancer rates.