More black and ethnic minority blood donors needed
More black and minority ethnic people in the region are being urged to give blood.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSTB) says it is quick, easy and safe to donate blood and has called on more people from those groups to help save lives.
Analysis by NHSBT shows that BAME people make up an estimated 29.8 per cent of the population in the catchment area of its Birmingham Donor Centre, which includes Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall.
But according to its own data, 20.2 per cent of the 14,014 active donors at the centre at the end of January were BAME.
Some donor centres, such as those in Liverpool and Luton, Bedfordshire saw a higher share of active BAME donors than the proportion living in the area, the analysis shows.
But most saw a shortfall – the widest disparity was seen at the West End Donor Centre in London, where 16.8% of active donors were BAME, while they made up 37.8 per cent of the local population.
Mike Stredder, director of donor experience for NHSBT, said that “more and more black and Asian people are donating blood and saving lives” across the country.
But despite a significant rise in donations in recent years, demand is still outstripping supply.
Mr Stredder added: “We would welcome more black blood donors. There is a difference in red blood cell groups between different ethnicities.
“If we give blood from white donors to black recipients, even though we match for the major blood groups, it is more likely minor mismatches can occur and cause reactions.”
He added: “Blood donation is quick, easy and safe. Join us in saving lives by finding your local donor centre.”
NHSBT is aiming to recruit an extra 5,700 black blood donors next year, which would represent a 4% increase on current numbers.
The group used population estimates from the Office for National Statistics to work out the proportion of BAME people living in council areas served by its 23 donor centres across England.
It then compared that figure to the proportion of active BAME donors at each centre at the end of January.
Mr Stredder added: “We especially need more people to start donating blood in London, Birmingham and Manchester, and at our donor centres around the country.”
