The NHS has turned away thousands of potential blood donors because staff are too busy, despite complaining of a 40% slump in people coming forward and a potential shortage of future stocks.
The health service’s blood and transplant unit revealed, after a freedom of information request, that 1,986 people complained they had been turned away from walk-in sessions in the year 2013-14; a similar number (1,949) said they did not have their blood taken even when they had made an appointment.