THE IRISH BLOOD Transfusion Service (IBTS) has issued an appeal for donors to make a special effort to give blood before the end of the year, as a number of donation clinics are set to close for the festive period.

The IBTS has stressed that donations are “especially important” at this time of year, as 45 normally scheduled blood donation clinics will not be open for the last week of December.

For the next three weeks, IBTS are aiming to receive over 10,000 blood donations over the next three weeks to safely support the health service into 2025.

The service said they are especially seeking younger people and people of African heritage to become blood donors to “help save people’s lives”.

“Donating blood is a selfless act for the person who gives it but is a priceless gift to the person who receives it,” said Paul McKinney, Director of Donor Services and Logistics.

The IBTS has said that it recently imported additional stocks of O negative, B negative and A negative from the UK to supplement supply in those blood groups leading into Christmas, as demand for these blood groups remains consistently high.

The Blood Transfusion Service have arranged extra clinics for the next three Sundays (22 December 29 December, 5 January), as well as additional clinics on Friday 27 December and 3 January 2025.

“On any given day 200 patients receive transfusions in Irish hospitals, and the demand for blood, over Christmas and particularly during the month of January is constant. We rely on our donors and are urging them to give a priceless gift this Christmas, the gift of life,” said McKinney.

McKinney said it had been “a very challenging but successful year for everybody”, adding that he hopes donor support will continue into 2025.

75,372 donors gave blood in 2023, including 11,000 first time donors. The ITBS said they are hoping for an additional 15,000 new donors by the end of 2024.

Donation clinics can be found on the ITBS website.