The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is calling on regular donors to attend extra clinics over Christmas with stocks low coming into a "critical" period.
Earlier this week, the IBTS issued a pre-amber alert, which is used to inform hospitals to be cautious with existing stocks of blood.
IBTS acting operations director Barry Doyle told BreakingNews.ie: "It is precarious, we don’t have as much stock as we would like leading into Christmas. We normally build up beforehand."
Mr Doyle said a number of additional clinics have been scheduled for the Christmas/New Year period, including December 24th and December 31st.
Our stocks aren’t as good as we would like them to be at this point.
He said the drive for more donations is all dependant on donor availability, "it is more difficult to collect blood over the Christmas period and our stocks aren’t as good as we would like them to be at this point".
"We are in a pre-amber alert. We have a national shortage plan between ourselves and the hospitals which ensures there is always blood for patients that need it the most, emergency cases. If an amber alert were to be called, that does mean cancellation of surgeries that may require blood support.
"A pre-amber alert is essentially a heads-up or a notification in advance which requests conservative use from hospitals where possible, not to be stocking up too much. It’s a heads-up, so they know there is a shortage and then on our side we do everything we can to get more donations."
He added: "What happens in the following days and weeks is crucial, we have never called an amber alert. That plan is in place since the pandemic started. It is something that could be used at any stage in a country, it is good management of blood when stocks are tight which is often the case."
The Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve clinics will be in operation for the first time along with clinics on December 28th, 29th and 30th.
While all blood types are required, Mr Doyle explained that the IBTS is particularly short on O-, A- and B- blood.
While the IBTS is keen to recruit new donors in the new year, Mr Doyle said existing donors will be relied upon in the next few weeks.
"At this moment in time, it’s part of an international recommendation on managing blood stocks during Covid, is that you rely more on your regular donors. Our call-out at the minute is targeted to our regular donors on our database who get text messages from us. Everything is very controlled. There’s a phone pre-assessment before booking the appointment, it’s controlled in clinics especially in the context of Covid and all that’s going on with Omicron.
"We are relying more on our regular donors, especially in the next couple of weeks. We want to get back to first time donor recruitment and that’s definitely a strategy for next year and hopefully if the Covid situation dampens down into next year, but for now it’s our regular donors we are primarily calling out to."
IBTS urgently need O- B- and A- donations. High levels of COVID-19 is resulting in high numbers of cancellations. Extra clinics have been arranged on Sun 19th Dec, Fri 24th and Fri 31st Dec and on the public holidays Tues 28th Dec and Mon Jan 3rd https://t.co/m6mDkQQECB pic.twitter.com/iDvERK7SuM
— Giveblood (@Giveblood_ie) December 16, 2021
The IBTS has kept up blood supply despite many challenges presented by the pandemic, and only had to import a small amount of blood once last June.
Mr Doyle explained that the challenge has evolved from the earlier stages of the pandemic.
In the early stages as hospitals were overwhelmed with Covid patients, blood usage dropped as there weren't as many surgeries.
However, surgeries are now largely running at a high level despite the challenges of the pandemic and the threat of the Omicron variant.
This means that blood supply has to be kept up but the challenge of getting donors to clinics remains the same due to Covid infection and other factors.
"The dynamic has changed, last Christmas usage dropped because there was an impact on hospitals and donors, but they were in sync.
"At the moment Covid is impacting donors, donor availability, whether people are infected or close contacts. We’re getting high numbers of cancellations.
"The vaccine deferral is definitely having an impact, obviously the booster campaign is fantastic, but it’s being rolled out to our sort of target audience. You currently can’t donate for seven days after getting a vaccine, that has been reviewed and may be reduced, a change will come early next week, it’s definitely been having an impact.
"On the usage side, blood usage is very strong so the latest Covid wave hasn’t impacted it yet anyway. Usage is remaining high, but Covid is impacting donor availability, so it’s quite different to last Christmas in that sense."
Mr Doyle appealed to regular donors to schedule an appointment if they are feeling well and get a text about a local clinic. He also reassured donors of the high safety level of clinics, which are running smoothly following the move to an appointment system.
"We’ve got lots of clinics all around the country, and we’re usually in each particular area for more than one day. For example, we’re in Mullingar for five days next week, Carlow for five days in a row, Westport for three days, Mallow for four days, if they can fit us in at some stage it would be fantastic, and we’d be delighted to see them."
Storm Barra
He said Storm Barra had a big impact due to the cancellation of a number of clinics at a typically busy period for the IBTS.
"We’re having a tough time at the minute with all that’s going on Covid wise.
"It’s completely understandable that people may be concerned, but an important reassurance is we have all our controls in place from the pre-screening, Covid controls on site and the appointment system, we have a very good process with social distancing. We haven’t had one transmission between donors in a clinic, so it’s managed very well to ensure the safety of donors and staff."
Mr Doyle said having to import blood again would be a "last resort".
"It’s our preference not to do it, but it’s our official contingency and that’s why we enacted it the last time. We’ve done two call-outs for donors recently, and we hope to reap enough from those to avoid importation."
He said the generosity of Irish people was more evident than ever in the ongoing efforts to maintain blood supply.
"It’s part of the Irish psyche. When you see millions being collected on The Late Late Toy Show, we have that in our nature and as a population that altruistic belief is heartwarming.
"We have a saying ‘give a gift of life this Christmas’, there is that feel good factor especially at this time of year and especially with all our safety protocols in place to enable it to happen."
Supply chain
Mr Doyle said the nature of blood services was a constant challenge, but he reiterated how important the next few weeks will be in maintaining supply to hospitals going into 2022.
"It’s one of those never-ending things, I’m here 20 years and the week I started we had an appeal, it’s part of the business in blood banking, like the health service it never stops.
"It depends on the supply chain how you push and pull, managing it day by day. We have an excellent system in Irish hospitals, so there’s very little blood wasted.
"They’re doing a great job in maintaining general hospital services despite Covid. In January, February and into March activity was lower due to the impact of last Christmas, but then it picked up, and they’re making up for that, with strong blood usage now. We’re not sure what Omicron will bring but by all accounts so far it is not impacting blood usage. Our prediction is that it will remain strong, so we have to keep the supply up."
In the next few weeks there will be clinics in Bray, Malahide, Swords, Mullingar, Carlow, Westport, Mallow, Killmallock and Castletroy and more information can be found on Giveblood.ie.
