What is the NHS doing to find rare blood donors?

The NHS is testing tens of thousands of blood donors to identify those with rare blood types, and then collecting and freezing this rare blood for future use in precision-matched transfusions.

What is the goal of the NHS's rare blood donor program?

The ultimate goal of the NHS's rare blood donor program is to roll out precision-matched blood transfusions more widely, which would be a landmark change in how blood is matched for patients in need.

Home / Health / NHS Seeks Rare Blood Donors to Provide Precision-Matched Transfusions

NHS Seeks Rare Blood Donors to Provide Precision-Matched Transfusions

Q: How will precision-matched blood transfusions help patients?

Precision-matched blood transfusions can help reduce the risk of severe reactions, where the recipient's body rejects the donated blood as foreign. This is especially important for patients who regularly require blood donations, such as those with sickle cell disorder or thalassemia.

22 Jul

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Summary

NHS testing 77,000 donors to identify rare blood types
Rare blood will be collected and frozen for future use
Precision-matched blood transfusions aim to reduce reactions

NHS Seeks Rare Blood Donors to Provide Precision-Matched Transfusions

In an unprecedented move, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) is actively searching for blood donors with rare blood types. Over the past months, scientists have tested the blood of tens of thousands of donors to identify those with uncommon genetic profiles.

The goal is to collect and freeze the blood from these rare donors, creating a specialized inventory that can be used to provide "precision-matched" transfusions to patients in need. This is a significant shift from the current system, where blood matching is often a complex challenge due to the 362 known blood types.

By having access to this rare blood supply, the NHS aims to reduce the risk of severe transfusion reactions, where the recipient's body rejects the donated blood as foreign. This is especially crucial for patients who regularly require blood donations, such as those with sickle cell disorder or thalassemia.

The NHS's chief medical officer, Dr. Gail Miflin, hailed this initiative as an "incredible undertaking" that will "radically improve patient outcomes." As the program continues, the hope is to expand precision-matched blood transfusions to help even more people in need of this life-saving treatment.

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