New Zealand Blood Service went on appeal for O negative blood type on Monday 24th September. This rare event to go on appeal was due to an extraordinary number of patients requiring O negative blood, which led to levels of O- to be lower than our minimum stock levels. We asked eligible O negative donors to book an appointment to donate and the response was fantastic.

“Very occasionally we find ourselves in a position where demand for a particular blood group has been higher than we had anticipated”, says Asuka Burge, National Manager Marketing and Communications for New Zealand Blood Service.

We had an amazing response from our donors and our stock levels are now back to normal, so we’d like to say a huge thank you to our wonderful donors who helped us replenish our lifesaving supply. Every day around 80 New Zealanders need blood or blood products and there is no alternative for these patients in need, blood donors save lives.

If you are interested in giving blood, check out our eligibility criteria here or call 0800 448 325 to find out more.