One of the country’s most prolific blood donors, Peter Randle, has urged people to donate and “help society”.
The 69-year-old Coventry grandfather has given blood 138 times, beginning at university aged 18.
Mr Randle, a financial adviser with O negative blood, told the PA news agency: “When I was in my 30s I became aware that my blood group is what they call a universal blood group, which means in an emergency they can give it to anyone.”
“So I realised that it was more important for me to give blood which is what motivated me to keep giving.”
He added: “It’s just something you can do to help society so I would encourage everyone to do it – particularly if you’ve got the rarer blood groups like mine, then then you should really try and find the time to do it.
“If you give every three months, if you don’t do anything else particularly good during that time you’ve always done that.”
It comes as NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) thanked blood, organ and stem cell donors as it celebrated its 20th anniversary.
NHSBT was established in October 2005 when the National Blood Authority, UK Transplant and Bio Products Laboratory merged to create one organisation.
Since it began Mr Randle has donated blood 88 times – the highest number of donations in NHSBT’s 20-year history.
A further 41 donors have donated more than 80 times.
Mr Randle, who is well known to nurses at his local donation centre, told PA: “I was diagnosed with something quite accidentally really, called haemochromatosis, which is where your blood produces too much iron and that iron can attach itself to your organs if you don’t control it.
“I was OK because I was giving blood regularly, because that’s the treatment for it, to take blood regularly, they then allowed me to go every two months when other donors are allowed to donate every three months.
“It’s a win-win because I can give more often and people will benefit from it.
“So I put my foot on the accelerator then and now go about every eight weeks.”
NHSBT is calling for O negative donors to come forward as well as people with B- blood and black heritage donors.
To mark its 20th anniversary, NHSBT has highlighted some of its achievements over the last two decades, including:
– 33,727,426 blood donations.
– 4,341,851 “whole blood” donors, 32,929 plasma donors and 77,815 platelet donors.
– 286,166 people who have joined the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry.
– 50,198 cord blood units collected.
– 83,941 solid organ transplants.
– 46,020 solid organ donors.
– 18,416,561 opt ins on the Organ Donor Register.
– 99,020 corneas donated.
– 10 people have donated all of blood, plasma, platelets and stem cells through NHSBT.
It also said that 53 new blood group antigens and 104 new blood group alleles have been discovered by NHSBT scientists.
Dr Gail Miflin, chief medical officer at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “The work that we have done as an organisation over these last two decades is truly life-saving and life-improving and we couldn’t have done any of it without the millions of generous blood, organ, plasma, platelet and stem cell donors who have put themselves forward to help those who need it.
“We cannot thank them enough for everything they have done and continue to do.”
She added: “As well as our blood, organ and stem cell donation services, we also have a multitude of incredible teams who carry out world class research and deliver leading clinical services that help us to develop and scale up new offerings for the NHS, translating breakthroughs into real-life products that reach patients, saving and improving lives.
“We look forward to seeing what the next 20 years bring – and to continue to welcome our existing donors alongside the new, so we can work together to save and improve the lives of all of those who need it.”
NHSBT highlighted how 12,000 people have died in the last decade while waiting for an organ transplant and there are more than 8,000 waiting for a transplant, as it urged people to register their decision on the organ donor register.
Simon Elmore, who received a kidney transplant in 2015, described how “incredibly special” organ donation is as he thanked the family of his donor.
The 50-year-old from Belper, Derbyshire, who has since competed in the Transplant Games, said: “My kidneys suddenly failed when I was 33 and I was added to the transplant waiting list.
“Five years into that wait, I had a stroke and fell seriously ill. At one point I wasn’t expected to survive the night.
“Since I received my transplant, now a full decade ago, I’ve gone on to live life to its fullest. I now have the chance to open my eyes every day and smile.
“Organ donation is incredibly special and I send my thanks to my donor family and all of the donor families out there, as well as all of the staff across NHS Blood and Transplant and the wider NHS, who work to make the transplants happen.”
NHSBT is also calling for people to sign up to become stem cell donors, particularly more young men.
