Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has issued a critical appeal for 16,000 donors after its reserves fell to their lowest level in almost a decade. A long and record cold and flu season has left more than 1,200 donor chairs empty nationwide each day, and blood supplies have dropped 60 per cent since June. Lifeblood's Chief Customer Officer, Cath Stone, said donations are not keeping pace with hospital demand, particularly for type O blood. Strict safeguards require donors to be symptom-free for seven days, which means fewer people can give.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has issued an urgent appeal for 16,000 blood donors nationwide, as reserves have dropped to their lowest level in almost ten years. The organisation says a prolonged cold and flu season led to low bookings, cancellations and missed appointments. Around 40 per cent of appointments in the Penrith area went unfilled over winter. Lifeblood's Chief Customer Officer, Cath Stone, said donations are not keeping pace with hospital demand. Penrith residents have responded strongly, with hundreds booking appointments at the Penrith Donor Centre in Jamisontown, which is now busy after a quiet period.
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.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has issued an urgent call for 16,000 more donors as its blood reserves fall to their lowest level in almost a decade. Blood supplies have dropped 60 per cent since June, with more than 1,200 donor chairs empty each day during a prolonged cold and flu season. Lifeblood says even minor symptoms stop people from donating, because donors must be symptom-free for seven days. Demand is still rising, with type O blood in particular under strain. Lifeblood says all blood types are needed right now.
Blood donation bookings across the Illawarra are going unfulfilled, with around 1000 appointments cancelled or rescheduled in the past month. Lifeblood says an extra 150 donors are needed in the Wollongong area this week to meet hospital orders. National blood stocks have fallen to their lowest level in nearly a decade. Lifeblood says a long cold and flu season has kept donor numbers low, as donors must be symptom-free for seven days. More than 16,000 extra donors are needed across Australia, including 4500 in NSW. Lifeblood also says many people wrongly believe they are ineligible to give blood.
