NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking significant achievements such as facilitating over 33 million blood donations—including blood, plasma, platelets, and stem cells—and conducting nearly 287,000 organ transplants since its establishment in 2005.

NHSBT is actively urging more people, especially young men, to register as stem cell donors, given that over 8,000 people remain on transplant waiting lists and 12,000 have died in the last decade while waiting for transplants.

Through its research efforts, NHSBT has discovered 53 new blood group antigens and 104 new blood group alleles, highlighting its ongoing contribution to medical science.

Dr. Gail Miflin, NHSBT's chief medical officer, praised the organization’s contributions over two decades, emphasizing the importance of continued donations for saving lives and supporting research and clinical advancements.

The organization is also calling for increased donations from O negative donors, B- blood donors, and individuals from black communities to help meet the ongoing demand, as organ transplant waiting lists remain long.

Organ transplant recipient Simon Elmore shared his life-changing experience after receiving a kidney transplant in 2015, expressing deep gratitude to his donor’s family and highlighting the profound impact of organ donation.

Elmore’s story underscores the importance of organ donation, with him reflecting on his journey from kidney failure to a decade post-transplant, illustrating how such donations can transform lives.

Long-time donor Peter Randle, who has given blood 138 times, emphasizes the importance of regular donations, especially for those with rare blood types like O negative, which is a universal donor type.

Randle, motivated by his condition haemochromatosis and his blood type, started donating at 18 and now donates more frequently, every eight weeks, to help manage his condition and support the blood supply.