Blood donors urged to give platelets
Donors have been urged to make the switch from whole blood to platelets, with a new campaign by NHS Blood and Transplant to raise awareness of the importance of platelet donation in lifesaving cancer care.
Platelets are cells within the blood that are crucial for patients with blood cancers, such as leukaemia. Whole blood donors often graduate into platelets donation, particularly men because of their tendency to have bigger arm veins. Yet there is a lack of knowledge among whole blood donors surrounding this type of donation and the patient care it is used for. Nearly 70% of platelet donations are used to help people with cancer.
The new campaign by NHS Blood and Transplant aims to tackle this gap in knowledge by publishing a series of explainer videos which will show how platelet donation works. These will highlight the benefits and need for platelet donations, to encourage people to have a go at a switch when booking their next appointment. One platelet donation can help up to twelve children with cancer.
Two-year-old Evie Marshall, from Shoreham by the Sea, West Sussex, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma a year ago. Evie had eight rounds of chemotherapy, each time accompanied by nine platelet transfusions, which helped save her life. Mum Kelly explained: “Platelets helped give Evie a fighting chance. Each time she received the transfusions the colour would come back to her face immediately; her energy levels would dramatically increase, and she responded better to treatment.”
Bev Caldwell, components donations support manager said: “It is very easy to switch from whole blood to platelet donation. The donation does take longer but it’s a very rewarding way for regular donors to give more often. We are urging whole blood donors to make the switch and help keep platelet care for cancer and other illnesses going.”
There is a particular need for more platelet donors with A negative, AB negative and A positive blood types. For further information, visit: https://platelets.blood.co.uk
Other News
Featured Supplier
Upcoming Events
BSG LIVE 22
ICC, Birmingham
20th – 23rd June 2022
EBME Expo 2022
Coventry Building Society Arena, Phoenix Way, Rowleys Green, Coventry CV6 6GE
28th - 29th June
Infection 360: What's trending in infection prevention & control
Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham
27-28 September 2022
IP2022 IS COMING TO BOURNEMOUTH IN OCTOBER 2022
Bournemouth
17-19 October 2022
UKHCA Conference: Listen Up
Pendulum Hotel and Manchester Conference Centre, Manchester
3rd November 2022
IDSc Annual Conference
The Eastside Rooms, Birmingham
29th - 30th November 2022
Access the latest issue of Clinical Services Journal on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.
Download the FREE Clinical Services Journal app from your device's App store