NHS calls for O-type blood donations after cyber attacks delay transfusions

A call has been launched for O blood group donors to book appointments across England following the ransomware attack that hit major London hospitals.

NHS Blood and Transplant is appealing for blood group O donations as it is safe to use for all patients. Due to the cyber attack, the affected hospitals are unable to match patients’ blood with the same frequency as usual.

Several London hospitals declared a critical incident last week, canceled operations and tests and were unable to carry out blood transfusions following the attack on pathology company Synnovis, which Qilin, a Russian cybercriminal group, is believed to be behind.

Memos to NHS staff at King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ (including the Royal Brompton and Evelina London Children’s Hospital) and primary care in London said it was a critical incident.

NHS Blood and Transplant is calling on O-positive and O-negative blood donors to make appointments at one of the 25 NHS blood donor centers in England to increase supplies.

The hospitals affected by the cyber attack are unable to match patients’ blood at the same frequency as usual, NHS Blood and Transplant said.

For surgeries and procedures that require blood, hospitals must use O-type blood because it is safe for all patients. Blood has a shelf life of 35 days, so supplies need to be constantly replenished, the NHS said.

This means that more units of this type of blood will be needed than normal in the coming weeks.

O negative is the type that can be given to anyone, known as the universal blood type. It is used in emergencies or when a patient’s blood type is unknown. Air ambulances and emergency vehicles transport O-negative supplies.

Eight percent of the population is type O negative, but this concerns approximately 15% of hospital admissions.

O-positive is the most common blood group; 35% of donors have it, and it can be given to anyone with a positive blood type. This means that three out of four people, or 76% of the population, can benefit from an O-positive donation.

This National Blood Week, it was announced that three blood donations are needed in hospitals every minute. There are around 13,000 appointments available nationally at NHS blood donor centers this week, including 3,400 in London.

Dr. Gail Miflin, the chief medical officer at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:

“To support London’s hospitals to carry out more operations and provide all patients with the best possible care, we need more O-negative and 0-positive donors than normal. Make an urgent appointment to donate blood at one of our 25 donor centers across the city and the city, where good appointments are currently available.

“We have availability for donors who know they have type O, but we also welcome new donors who do not yet know their blood type. Maybe you have one of these special types that you can use in an emergency.”

Professor Stephen Powis, the medical director of NHS England, said: “NHS staff continue to do their utmost to minimize the significant disruption to patients following the ransomware cyber attack on Synnovis earlier this week.”

He continued: “To help London staff support and treat more patients, they need access to O negative and O positive blood, so if one of these is your blood type, come to one of the 13,000 appointments available are currently available on the NHS. blood donor centers.”

For more information, search GiveBlood online and on social media or visit Bloed.nl