Blood donors encouraged to keep appointments to help patients this holiday season

DEC. 27, 2018 (OTTAWA) – Canadian Blood Services is asking donors to keep their appointments to give blood during the holidays to help ensure blood and blood products are available for those in need.

On Dec. 17, Canada’s lifeline called for more than 30,000 donors across Canada to book and keep their blood donation appointments by Jan. 6. 

“We are pleased our blood donor centres have been busy since missed or cancelled appointments during this time of year are difficult for us to fill,” says Rick Prinzen, Canadian Blood Services chief supply chain officer.

“We know that travel, family activities and last-minute changes in routine can interfere with plans, but many lifesaving medical procedures must take place between Christmas and New Year’s Day. That’s why we are asking donors to please keep their appointment to give blood or reschedule early in the New Year to help ensure patients’ needs are met.” 

While all blood types help patients, O-negative blood is in particular demand by hospitals because it is the only type compatible with all other blood types. When seconds count, someone’s life is on the line, and there’s no time to check blood type, hospital patients in an emergency can all receive O-negative blood.

Donor centres across the country are open through the holidays. New and existing donors are welcome and walk-ins are accepted. 

To book or change a blood donation appointment today, locate a donor centre, check your eligibility to donate blood and more, download the GiveBlood app available for iOS on the App Store or for Android on Google Play or visit blood.ca. 

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About Canadian Blood Services

Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization. Regulated by Health Canada as a biologics manufacturer and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health, Canadian Blood Services operates with a national scope, infrastructure and governance that make it unique within Canadian healthcare. In the domain of blood, plasma and stem cells, we provide services for patients on behalf of all provincial and territorial governments except Quebec. The national transplant registry for interprovincial organ sharing and related programs reaches into all provinces and territories, as a biological lifeline for Canadians.