BLOOD donors in the Worcester area are being asked to roll up their sleeves and give blood in the run up to the bank holiday weekend.
Giving blood, either before or after the bank holiday, is especially important to maintain healthy stocks and meet hospital demands.
"During bank holidays the amount of blood collected is much lower because we hold fewer sessions, said National Blood Service spokesman Lyndsay Stewart.
"This doesn't cause problems for whole blood, which lasts 35 days, but platelets, which have a shelf life of just five days, can be severely affected."
Platelets are fragments of blood cells that help clotting and prevent bleeding, often used on cancer and leukaemia patients because chemotherapy can damage their ability to make platelets.
They are also used for people having major surgery.
If you would like to be a blood donor, or would like details of sessions near you, call 08457 711 711 or visit www.blood.co.uk
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