Due to recent cyber-attacks affecting London hospitals and critically low O negative blood
stocks, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has issued an Amber alert for O type blood.
Hospitals are asked to limit O type blood use to essential cases and find alternatives where
safe to do so. Hospitals will however continue to carry out urgent, emergency or trauma
surgery, cancer surgery, transplant surgery and blood transfusions to treat people with long
term conditions, e.g. Sickle Cell Disorder. The alert will come into force immediately and will
be kept under constant review

Why the Alert?

o Increased O negative blood use due to emergencies
o High numbers of missed appointments at donor centres
o The ongoing cyber incident required 94% more O negative blood compared
to last year
o Variable weather has also had an impact

Current Stock Levels:

o National O negative stock: 1.6 days
o Total blood stock: 4.3 days

What we are doing

o Planning long-term programme to build resilience by increasing the number
of locations where we collect blood

What Can You Do?

o If you are O negative or O positive, please book an appointment to donate
blood.
o Share this message with your networks.

How to Book

Call 0300 123 23 23
Visit www.blood.co.uk