Army joins national blood drive
Army personnel have responded to an urgent NHS appeal by donating blood to help boost life-saving supplies, following a year-long Amber Alert caused by rising demand.
The Ministry of Defence partnered with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to run donation sessions at four military sites between May and July 2025, collecting 266 donations – including 177 from first-time donors.
In total, 125 litres of blood were gathered, enough to treat 798 adults or 1,596 infants. Army Headquarters Andover, MoD Main Building in Whitehall, MoD Corsham in Wiltshire and Defence Medical Services Whittington were all transformed into temporary donation venues.
‘Easy to save a life’
Head of Army Healthcare, Brigadier Phil Carter, praised the military’s role in supporting the campaign.
“It’s easy to save a life by giving up an hour of your time to donate blood,” he said.
“It’s very straightforward, and you genuinely come away feeling like you’ve contributed something back to society.”
He added that military personnel are well-placed to respond quickly to targeted donor appeals.
“Unlike most of the population, military personnel do know their blood group. So when NHSBT puts out a call for a particular type, they know immediately whether they can help.”
Need remains high
While the Amber Alert has now been lifted, NHSBT warns that demand for blood remains constant, with more than 5,000 donations needed daily – around 1.8 million a year.
NHS Director of Blood Supply, Gerry Gogarty, said: “Just two per cent of the population is keeping the nation’s blood stocks afloat. We particularly need more donors with very rare B negative, as well as O negative, the universal blood type used in emergencies.”
NHSBT is also urging more donors of Black heritage to come forward to help treat patients with sickle cell disease, the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK.
Serving society in a new way
Many service personnel are already registered as pre-deployment donors and see blood donation as part of their commitment to serve society. The MoD now hopes to extend the initiative to more military bases in the months ahead.
“Anybody associated with defence who is eligible should consider donating,” Brigadier Carter said. “It’s a hugely important way to make a real difference.”
Appointments can be booked online or via the NHS Give Blood app.
