July 2024: Update on Scotland’s bloodstock levels

Scotland aims to have five to seven days’ supply of all eight blood groups and currently supplies are within these levels for six of the eight blood groups.

We are asking people to continue to make an extra special effort to donate at this time, particularly if you are blood group O or A.

In Scotland, we are not in an amber blood stocks situation and we have no plans for restricting clinical blood usage. We continue working with hospitals and their management of blood stocks is good. We are also working with our donor teams to increase blood collection. This will help to support patients throughout the crucial Summer holiday period and into Autumn.

On average, Scotland needs to fill around 3,500 appointments each week. There are over 1,800 appointments still to fill in donor centres over the next two weeks. Hospitals in Scotland used 14% more O Negative blood this week than last, so we are particularly keen to welcome more O Negative donors over the coming days.

If you are a regular Group O or Group A donor, we are likely to be contacting you at this time asking you to come forward and donate (you must leave 12 weeks in between donations). It is important to note we also need new donors – you can start giving blood aged 17 and there has never been a better time to start donating.

Your local donor centre in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness will have lots of appointments available. We’d also like to encourage workplaces to contact us to organise corporate group bookings.

Donations can drop off by up to 20% every holiday period in Scotland, and we are working to maintain blood supplies. This is because donors are busy, and we know lots of people are now travelling and undertaking leisure activities. We have plans in place to support this annual reduction, including our current radio and TV advertising campaign, and we are asking donors to make and extra special effort to donate at this time.”

• To book your appointment please call 0345 90 90 999 or visit scotblood.co.uk