NZ Blood Service seeks thousands more donors

The New Zealand Blood Service is seeking thousands more donors so it can meet the growing demand for lifesaving blood and plasma medicines.

Chief executive Sam Cliffe said a record 25,000 people donated plasma last year but the number of those donating whole blood has fallen.

"While this increase is encouraging to see and reflects growing awareness of the importance of plasma donation, the reality is that we still need more donors," he said.

Cliffe said just four percent of those eligible to donate blood or plasma actually do, and 4000 more regular blood donors are needed.

Every 18 minutes, someone in New Zealand needs blood or blood products, with around 30,000 lives saved or improved each year.

Demand for plasma products, used to treat multiple conditions, is projected to rise by more than 25 percent over the next three years.

To boost numbers, the service has started accepting donations from men who have sex with men, with donors assessed on an individual basis.

Community hubs

Cliffe said donor centres are increasingly becoming community hubs.

"Blood donation has always been about saving lives, but for a lot of our donors, it's also become a way to connect with others and spend time with people they care about."

That was true for Christchurch donors Ash, Brendon, Steve and Simon, who each visited the same donor centre every fortnight and developed a genuine friendship and a WhatsApp chat they dubbed the "Blood Brothers".

Collectively they have made close to 1200 donations.

Cliffe said National Blood Donor Week is an opportunity to thank existing donors and encourage others to consider becoming part of the donor community.

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