Irish Blood Transfusion Service appeal for donors over Christmas period

There is a warning about a potential shortage of blood over Christmas and New Year.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service says more than 10 thousand donations will be needed over the next few weeks to maintain the supply.

It says 200 patients need a blood transfusion every day and that the festive period can be a particular challenge in making sure there's enough.

Paul McKinney - Operations Director of the IBTS - is urging donors to give a priceless gift this Christmas:

"You can save a life," he said.

"Usually at this time of year coming up to Christmas and New Year, we find it difficult to get the blood supply up to where we want.

"With other things on (peoples) mind, we find attendance drop off quite significantly so what we are looking for is 10,000 attendances in our clinics from December 10 to January 6 to ensure that we maintain the blood supply to the level we require."