As blood stock shortage crisis continues, less than half of Brits know their blood type says expert

Aug. 1, 2024 - PRLog -- The NHS is continuing to appeal for people with O-type blood to donate, after it declared an Amber alert for group O red cells, positive and negative, last week. The Amber alert means shortages are impacting on clinical activities. It follows a drop in blood donations and a cyber attack on one of the NHS' key blood-testing partners.

O negative blood is often called the 'universal blood type', because it is safe for all patients to receive in a transfusion when the patient's blood type is unknown.

Worryingly, recent research has revealed that less than 50% of Brits know their own blood group. A leading testing expert says knowing your blood group is very important, as receiving blood from the wrong group can be life-threatening.

Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, says: 'Knowing what blood type you are is vital. For example, if a group A person receives blood from a group B donor, then the giver's anti-A antibodies will attack the receiver's group A cells. This is why group B blood must never be given to someone who has group A blood and vice versa, to ensure that donors and recipients are a match when blood is transfused.

'Given the importance of knowing your blood group, it is surprising and concerning that our recent analysis of the latest research by groups such as Cardiomyopathy UK has revealed less than half of us can name their own blood type.

'The most common blood group in the UK is O positive, with around 36% of us in this group. Conversely, only 1% of us are AB negative, making it the least common.

'As the current blood shortage highlights, in most cases O negative can safely be given to anyone. That's why it is so concerning that, although we should have six days-worth of O negative stocks, we are currently down to just 2.65 days.

'Whether our blood group is positive or negative can be of major importance in terms of pregnancies. Pregnant women are always tested to see what blood type they are. That's because, for example, if the mother is RhD negative, but the child has inherited RhD positive blood from the father, this can cause complications if left untreated.

'London Medical Laboratory's own General Health Profile blood test can be taken at home through the post, or at one of the many drop-in clinics that offer these tests across London and nationwide in over 120 selected pharmacies and health stores. For full details, see: https://www.londonmedicallaboratory.com/product/general-health