PEOPLE across Cornwall are being urged to give blood as the NHS faces growing pressure on supplies heading into winter.

Hospitals are using hundreds more units of blood every week as they work to reduce waiting lists for planned operations, while also preparing for the usual seasonal surge in emergency cases.

The NHS says it needs 136,000 donations nationwide over the next eight weeks, with a particular need for O negative, B negative and the Ro subtype.

In Cornwall, donations made will help boost the national supply as local hospitals rely on blood stocks to treat accident victims, cancer patients and mothers during childbirth.

O negative blood is especially vital as it can be given to anyone in an emergency and is the type carried by ambulances and air ambulances. However, only eight per cent of the population have it, while it makes up over 16 per cent of all blood used by hospitals. Meanwhile, B negative is found in just two per cent of people, making it one of the rarest and most in-demand blood types.

Winter always brings challenges for blood services, with bad weather, illness, and busy schedules leading to missed appointments. The NHS is now appealing for 10,000 extra O negative donors to step forward before Christmas to make sure hospitals can meet demand.

Mark Chambers, Director of Donor Experience at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We urgently need donors with O negative, B negative and Ro blood types to book an appointment between now and Christmas. Donating takes just an hour and can save up to three lives.”

Cornish residents can book to give blood through the GiveBlood app, visit www.blood.co.uk, or call 0300 123 23 23.

Each day, hospitals across England need over 5,000 blood donations – and one from Cornwall could be the one that saves a life