Blood Donors Urged - Give Before You Go

14 Jun 2013

14th June 2013, is the 10th World Blood Donor Day, raising awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and thanking voluntary unpaid blood donors for their gift. Blood and blood products save lives in emergencies and improve the lives of people with severe and chronic illnesses.

During the summer holiday period, donated blood supplies can run low. Donors are unavailable when travelling and if they visit places where infections such as malaria or West Nile virus are present, they will be unable to donate immediately on their return home. So this year (2013), the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) is asking donors to ‘Give Before You Go’. 

SNBTS would particularly like to encourage young people to become blood donors; you can start donating at age 17 years.

Find out more about becoming a blood donor at:

Scotland: www.scotblood.co.uk/

England & North Wales: www.blood.co.uk/

Northern Ireland: www.nibts.org/

Wales: www.welsh-blood.org.uk/