Blood supply crisis feared as donations drop by 20 per cent

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Blood stores have plunged by 20 per cent in three years and the number of people donating has also fallen dramatically.

The capital's health service may struggle to function if the trends continue.

The National Blood Service has, meanwhile, been told to make savings across the board.

Three years ago, 97,892 pint bags of blood were collected in London postcodes, but so far this financial year, which ends on Monday, there have been just 79,032 units collected.

In April 2003 there were 80,283 active blood donors in the capital but by last April the figure had fallen to 64,263.

Healthcare charity the Patients Association said low blood levels could be "potentially disastrous".

Spokeswoman Vanessa Bourne said: "It is vital that the downward spiral is stopped. If levels keep falling the health service will stop functioning properly. Giving blood has got to be made easier. At the moment it just

takes too long and is inconvenient for too many people." Putney MP Justine Greening, who obtained the figures in a parliamentary question, said: "It's very worrying, particularly as there is the possibility of a major incident such as the London bombings when large quantities of blood are vital to keep people alive."

A spokeswoman for the National Blood Service said the need for blood was dropping as it was being used increasingly efficiently.

However, the number of donors has fallen faster than the reduction in demand. This has meant the unit cost of blood has risen by more than half, diverting much-needed resources away from the rest of the NHS and patient care.

As part of a shake-up, the NBS will have to reduce its staff by up to 600 in the next five years.

There are also plans to expand the range of collection centres, offering more convenient opening times at evenings and weekends and to improve the way it communicates and build relationships with donors.