Canadian Blood Services supply drops nearly 20% since June, prompting call for urgent blood donations

Canadian Blood Services is appealing for people across the country to donate blood, saying its supply has dropped significantly in the last several weeks.

The organization, which operates the blood supply system in all provinces except Quebec, is urging eligible Canadians this week to book blood donation appointments as soon as possible.

It says its blood supply has declined nearly 20 per cent since June 1, with only limited days of several blood types now on hand.

Ryan Adams, director of development and recruitment at Canadian Blood Services, said in an interview in Toronto on Friday that donors of all blood types are needed to replenish its supply and meet hospital demand, particularly ahead of the August long weekend.

“This is a national issue we’re facing where we don’t have enough appointments in the queue to maintain a sustainable inventory of blood in the future,” Adams said.

A seasonal decline in donations is expected during the summer months and factored into planning, but appointment bookings have fallen well below typical summer patterns, he said.

“We know inventory drops a little bit, summer behaviours change, people take vacation, all that good stuff, and we plan for that. But this is above and beyond what we plan for,” he said.

Appointments down by 1,500 to 2,000 each week

Canadian Blood Services said in a news release Wednesday it needs about 18,000 booked blood donation appointments every week to keep pace with hospital demand.

Since June 1, appointments have fallen short by 1,500 to 2,500 each week, which means it has to draw on existing inventory to meet patient need.

Adams said if the trend of low inventory and not enough appointments continues, the organization will have real challenges.

“The blood supply has a shelf life of 42 days,” he said. “On one hand, we constantly need to replenish that every single day, every single week. The flip side of that is that, if you do come in and donate, we know that’s going to support a patient very quickly.”

Marie-Pierre Deschaines, 45, a first-time donor, said she decided to donate after hearing on the news that donations were needed. Her blood type is O-negative, she said.

“I know a lot of people that could use my blood and I’m here to help today. I just decided the last minute to get it done,” Deschaines said.

“Everybody needs our blood — just too many people, car accidents, you’ve seen them today, drinking and driving and people with cancers and all that stuff. So it’s very important that everybody tries to at least take 45 minutes, one hour of their time and come over here and just give away your blood. It’s a good thing.”

Angel Kerr, 18, another first-time donor and step-daughter of Deschaines, said she found it a little nerve-wracking to donate blood but that the process was relatively easy.

“I saw ads about it, so I’m like, ‘OK, I’ll just do it,'” Kerr said.

Ron Vezina, vice-president of donor engagement and corporate reputation at Canadian Blood Services, said in the release that donations are needed “especially as we head into the August long weekend when trauma cases and other urgent care needs could see an increase.”

Regular donors said to be on vacation

A spokesperson for Hema-Quebec says it is has also seen a decline in blood donations since the end of June.

“Hema-Quebec needs approximately 1,000 blood donations every day to meet the needs of patients across the province,” Patrice Lavoie said in an email to The Canadian Press on Wednesday.

“Summer is traditionally a more fragile period for the blood supply. Many regular donors are on vacation or simply forget to book an appointment,” he said.

Canadian Blood Services said it is adding more opportunities for people to donate blood, including more weekend appointments at its centres. In addition, several plasma-specific donor centres will accept whole blood donations.

People can book donation appointments at blood.ca, on the GiveBlood app or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE. In Quebec, people can book appointments through hemaquebec.ca.