blood donors

This article tells us: with blood donation rates in decline all over the developed world, Sweden’s blood service is enlisting new technology to help push back against shortages. One new initiative, where donors are sent automatic text messages telling them when their blood has actually been used, has caught the public eye. People who donate initially receive a ‘thank you’ text when they give blood, but they get another message when their blood makes it into somebody else’s veins. According to Karolina Blom Wiberg, a communications manager at the Stockholm blood service, ““we get a lot of visibility in social media and traditional media thanks to the SMS. But above all we believe it makes our donors come back to us, and donate again”. NHS figures released this week illustrate how there are 40% fewer donors today than there were ten years ago. The NHS Blood and Transplant service is also looking at new ways to increase donations. During National Blood Donation Week street signs and shop fronts around the country are having the letters ‘O’ and ‘A’ quietly removed, representing the missing blood types. National Blood Week is 8-14 June. http://www.blood.co.uk/news-media/campaigns/