28th
December 2004
Give Time to Give Blood
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan
McNeil, is encouraging local people to give one final gift this Christmas.
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) is traditionally
stretched between Christmas and New Year and Mr McNeil is encouraging more
donors to join him in coming forward to help out.
Speaking today, Mr McNeil,
who will be giving blood when the Donating Bus comes to Greenock’s Dalrymple
Street on Wednesday 29th December, said:
“I know that people have a
hundred and one things to do over Christmas. However, a lack of blood donors can
cause real difficulties in maintaining supplies for Scottish hospitals over the
festive season.
“Blood supplies are not
just needed to treat victims of accidents, they are also vital for thousands of
patients suffering from a variety of different illnesses.
I know how generous the people of Greenock and Inverclyde are and I hope
that, during the season of giving, they will come forward and volunteer to help
out this vital service.”
Mr. Keith Thompson, National
Director, SNBTS said
“It is vital to keep giving
blood during, and immediately after, the festive holiday period.
The run up to Christmas is a busy time for everyone, this can cause
donation levels to fall by as much as 10%.
Every single day we need 1,000 donations to meet the needs of our
hospitals.”
Anyone in Inverclyde wishing
to give blood over the festive season can do so at the following locations on
the following dates:
Wednesday 29th December
Donating
Bus on Dalrymple Street, Greenock (opposite Tesco).
From
09:30 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 15:30
Thursday
30th December
The
Town Hall, Clyde Square, Greenock
From
14:00 to 15:45 and 17:15 to 19:30
Annually, patients use in the
region of 2.5m units of blood nationwide and anyone between the age of 17 and 70
(60, for first time donors), weighing more than 7st 12lbs, can give blood.
For more information on donor
sessions across the country, see www.scotblood.co.uk/where_to_donate.html
If you wish to speak to someone to
register, or to discuss any aspect of blood donation, please call 0845
909 0999.
ENDS
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