The IBTS is urging donors to make a special effort to give blood leading up to and over the Christmas and New Year period. Donations are especially important at present with nearly 20% of all appointments being cancelled due to illness.
For the next 3 weeks, the service hopes to fulfil over 10,000 appointments to safely support the health service over Christmas and the New Year. A special plea is being made for donors of O-, B-, and A- blood which is in very high demand from the hospitals.
A clinic will be held in Newport on the evening of December 21st and in Nenagh on the afternoon of Dec 30th. Those receiving a text from the IBTS are asked to follow through with an appointment and to
complete the eligibility test on www.giveblood.ie before making the appointment to confirm eligibility to donate.
Extra clinics are planned for Sunday 18th December, Tuesday 27th, and Friday 30th plus 2 special neonatal clinics in Dublin on Friday 23rd to collect blood for young babies, who can only receive compatible blood which is no more than 5 days old since collection.
