Rise in sickle cell disease prompts NHS call for more Black blood donors

"Demand for blood needed to treat rare disorders such as sickle cell has soared by more than 130% in 10 years, forcing the NHS to ask for more donors to come forward. Requests for haemoglobin S (HbS)-negative blood, the type most used in blood transfusions for sickle cell anaemia patients, stood at 82,181 units in 2015. But last year, more than 191,000 units were needed, a 132% increase."

"HbS is a type of haemoglobin commonly found in people with sickle cell trait and sickle cell disorder. It gives red blood cells a crescent or sickle' shape, reducing the flexibility of the cells in blood vessels. For transfusions, patients with sickle cell should receive blood that does not contain HbS. This helps ensure the transfused blood works normally and does not worsen their condition."

"The NHS Blood and Transplant service (NHSBT) has highlighted the soaring demand from sickle cell disease patients and has made urgent appeals for Black people to donate. It has about 775,000 blood donors overall, about 21,500 of them of Black or mixed Black ethnicity. John James, chief executive of the Sickle Cell Society, said: These figures show an urgent need for more blood donors, especially from Black and brown heritage communities."

"The blood types most commonly needed for sickle cell patients are more prevalent in people of Black heritage, who remain under-represented in the donor pool. That's why, working in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, we've developed our Give Blood, Spread Love programme to increase the number of Black-heritage donors. Giving blood is a simple act that can save or improve up to three lives, and for people with sickle cell it can be life-saving."

Demand for blood used to treat rare disorders such as sickle cell has increased by more than 130% over 10 years. In 2015, 82,181 units of HbS-negative blood were requested, while last year more than 191,000 units were needed. HbS is a haemoglobin type common in people with sickle cell trait and sickle cell disorder and causes red blood cells to take a crescent or sickle shape, reducing flexibility in blood vessels. For transfusions, patients with sickle cell should receive blood without HbS so the transfused blood works normally and does not worsen their condition. The NHS Blood and Transplant service is appealing for more Black donors because the required blood types are more prevalent in Black heritage communities that are under-represented in the donor pool.

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