The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is concerned that blood supplies will be difficult to maintain between now and the end of the Christmas – New Year period and is urging donors to make a special effort to give blood during this time.  IBTS expects 10,000 donations (13,000 attendances) will be needed.

Traditionally holiday periods and especially the lead into the Christmas/New Year festivities present significant difficulties in sustaining the blood supply. In addition, with both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day falling on the Sunday, we cannot run our traditional Sunday clinics during that period.

Low attendances at clinics in recent weeks have seen supply for some blood groups drop to just 4 days. The additional clinics will assist with this but it is also important the clinics of Christmas week are well attended as we need to maintain the blood supply. There will be additional pressure in supplying maternity and children’s hospitals who only use blood for very young children that is no older than 5 days.

To boost supplies before Christmas the IBTS are running extra additional clinics next Sunday 18^th December in Roscommon town.

In addition, the collection teams will all be out the week prior to Christmas, and importantly, the week after Christmas day (Tuesday 27th-Friday 30th).