Irish Blood Transfusion Service needs more platelet donors

Platelets are needed every day for the treatment of patients with cancer, leukaemia, premature babies, major surgery, burns patients, accident victims who have had extensive injury and new born babies.

However, platelets have the shortest shelf life of all blood components, lasting only 7 days.

This means we have a constant need for platelet donors to ensure we meet the needs of these patients.

Over 24,000 platelet transfusions are needed every year in Ireland. The IBTS need every blood group every single day. Many of Ireland's patients rely on platelets, so it is important supplies are constantly replenished.

Platelets are essential to enable blood to clot properly and are a component of blood.

Patients who do not have enough platelets in their blood are at risk of spontaneous bleeding.

To find out if you are able to donate platelets take the eligibility quiz on www.giveblood.ie and fill in the online application form.

There are two platelet clinics in Ireland.

One is the National Blood Centre on James Street, Dublin 8.

The other is the Munster Regional Transfusion Centre at St Finbarr’s Hospital, Douglas Road, Cork.

Niall O’Shea is a platelet donor in the Munster Regional Transfusion Centre, Douglas.

“I am from Turner’s Cross and started to give blood a few days after my 18th birthday.

I was a plasma donor and am now a proud platelet donor,” he explains.

“A few years ago a family member needed platelets; it was from that day on that I decided that I was going to be a platelet donor for as long as I could.”