The Blood Board says stocks of type O negative and B negative are urgently needed to meet demand. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) needs to receive 3,000 donations a week, but just 3% of the population give blood regularly. Andy Kelly, CEO of IBTS, is appealing on World Blood Donor Day for people to make a special effort to donate. Mr Kelly said: "O negative is a universal donor, anybody can get it in an emergency and that's why it's so use, so we need more people to come in. "So we are asking people to make a special effort in this month, it genuinely does save lives and you can't do a greater thing than that."

Source: Irish Examiner June 14, 2019 12:56 UTC