NHS Blood and Transplant is appealing to people with O negative and B negative blood to donate now, as stocks are running low.

Stocks of O negative are increasingly being used as an emergency substitute for the rare Ro blood subtype, which is more common in black people. But most people don’t know they have this subtype until they donate and sonsequently there is a huge shortage of Ro blood donors.

Currently, there are 15,000 people living with sickle cell in the UK, and over 300 new babies born each year with the condition.

The urgent need for O negative and B negative is driven by changes in how sickle cell is treated which has significantly driven up demand, and the NHS is struggling to match this.

There is currently an urgent appeal for more people from the black community to give blood. NHS Blood and Transplant needs at least 40,000 new black donors to help these patients.

More than 7,000 have come forward since its appeal last June, but more are needed to make sure people in need receive the best possible blood match.

O negative is also the ‘universal’ blood group and is often used when a patient’s blood type is not known, as in emergency situations.

B negative stocks are low also because many patients with serious blood disorders, like sickle cell, need B negative blood.

Only two per cent of donors are B negative and it is a blood group more common in black people.

Mike Stredder, director of blood donation at NHS Blood and Transplant said: “The overall demand for blood is declining year on year.

“But the need for specific blood groups such as Ro blood type and O negative are on the increase.

“We need an additional 4,000 regular O negative donors to those we have now to consistently provide seriously ill patients with the blood they need.

“If you know you are O negative or B negative and have never donated before, now is the time to make a difference.”

•O negative and B negative donors can walk in and donate at most fixed site donor centres, without the need to make an appointment, or they can call 0300 123 2323 for a priority appointment.

For more information go to: www.blood.co.uk