Appeal for platelet donors

People in Plymouth are being urged to keep on supporting England in an extra special way– by giving platelets.

NHS Blood and Transplant is appealing for new volunteers to give it a try and check if they can be a platelet donor during the world’s biggest rugby tournament. More than 50 new platelet donors are needed in Plymouth this year.

Platelets help patients to survive cancer and are needed by many people with severe injuries or undergoing major surgery. These tiny cells in your blood help to form clots to stop bleeding and one donation can help up to three adults or 12 children.

Every month more than 500 people are diagnosed with leukaemia in the UK and more than half of all donated platelets are used to treat leukaemia or blood disorders.

But there is less than one platelet donor for every 100 blood donors. Anyone wanting to give platelets needs to meet criteria including having a high enough platelet count - so the first step to becoming a platelet donor is to donate a sample of blood.

Plymouth Donor Centre, Derriford Hospital, Derriford Road, Plymouth, is one of just 23 places in England where platelets can be donated so the community is being urged to give it a try and get assessed for platelet donation by the end of the world’s biggest rugby tournament.

Deborah Smith, Donor Centre Manager at Plymouth Donor Centre said: “Our platelet donors are a group of special people because not everyone is able to donate.

“We’re calling on more people in Plymouth to support England in a way that really matters and give it a try, check if you could be a platelet donor. It takes just 10 minutes to be assessed and involves a simple blood test. Donating platelets is an amazing thing to do and saves and improves lives.”

Platelets have just a seven day shelflife so regular donors are vital. Donation takes around an hour and half and donors can give platelets more often than blood so are able to to help even more people.

Blood groups A and AB negative donors are particularly needed as their platelets can also be given to patients with other blood groups.

Give it a try - take the first step towards finding out if you could be a platelet donor, by calling the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23.

If you cannot donate platelets, you can still help patients. New blood donors are needed too and NHS Blood and Transplant is calling on 100,000 new volunteers to register between 15 August and 31 October 2015.