The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has had to import a consignment of blood from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in order to deal with a shortage in the current blood supply.

Some 350 units of RhD negative blood groups – O negative, A negative and B negative – are being collected from England.

While IBTS occasionally imports a small number of rare blood units, this is the third time in the last year that it has had to resort to importing consignments of blood to deal with shortages.

“IBTS is again activating our contingency arrangement with NHSBT in England to supplement blood stocks and avoid raising an alert under the Irish national blood shortage plan, which could have a serious impact on patient care,” explained IBTS operations director, Paul McKinney.

IBTS is appealing to members of the public to help maintain the blood supply. It noted that while the appointment-based system it introduced at the beginning of the Covid pandemic has helped to manage donor attendance and keep donors and staff safe, maintaining RhD negative blood groups “has remained exceptionally difficult”.

“With just two days of O negative blood in stock, IBTS is closer than it has ever been to declaring an amber alert, which would have a direct impact on hospital activity, particularly for planned surgeries,” Mr McKinney pointed out.

In recent weeks, around 20% of booked appointments have not shown up to donate, which has had a “very real and consequential effect on our ability to collect blood and maintain the supply”.

NHSBT is able to support IBTS with this request without impacting on its services due to the comparative scale of that organisation.

IBTS needs to collect 3,000 units of blood every week to maintain the national blood supply, however just 3% of the Irish population are blood donors. For more information on how to donate blood, click here.