PRESS RELEASE
January 2nd, 2009

Blood donor help

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil is encouraging more local people to give blood – and for their bosses to help them do it.

Mr McNeil gave blood himself this week when the blood donor team visited Greenock.

He is now writing to every business in the area asking them to work with the blood transfusion service to allow staff time off to donate blood during work hours.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2010 but the number of donors has decreased by around 30,000 over the last decade.

The NHS predicts that it will need just over 190,000 donors to secure enough blood for patients in the future.

The MSP said: “I have been a regular blood donor myself for a number of years and I was glad to go along again this week.

“I know many others are keen to do their bit but sometimes finding time to do it outside of working hours isn’t easy.

“That is why I am asking local businesses to take a lead on this and I am confident many of them will back this campaign.

“These donations save people’s lives and we need to make it as easy as possible for people to contribute."

For more information on times and dates for the blood donor bus, visit www.scotblood.co.uk.