Story by Joe Acklam

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged more people from minority ethnic backgrounds to help save lives by donating blood.

Around 135,000 blood donors are required every year to keep up with demand, and donors of black heritage are particularly needed to help people with sickle cell, the country's fastest growing genetic blood disorder. 

Khan has worked with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) at City Hall to host its first ever blood drive, where he was joined by NHSBT Ambassadors Dr Emeka Okorocha and Dr Amos Ogunkoya, and Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard. 

Khan, said: "We urgently need more Londoners to come forward and give blood to help deliver lifesaving treatments across the capital and the country. 

"Giving blood saves lives, providing a lifeline in an emergency and for people who need long-term treatments. 

"I was proud to host this blood drive at City Hall as part of my work to build a better London for all, and encourage more Londoners to become donors." 

Donors of black heritage are needed in particular as fewer than five percent of all donors last year were from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds and NHSBT estimates that at least 16,000 more donors from Black African and Black Carribean heritage are needed. 

London has the highest number of sickle cell patients in the UK, which disproportionately impacts people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage, and each month 1,300 donors of Black heritage are needed to give blood to help provide life-saving transfusions to sickle cell patients, as well as for use in emergencies, childbirth, during surgery and in cancer treatments. 

Director of Donor Experience at NHS Blood and Transplant, David Rose, said: "Blood donation is amazing and it saves lives, yet right now we urgently need more donors of Black heritage to help tackle the health inequalities affecting patients from a similar ethnic background who rely on regular blood transfusions, a growing number of whom are Londoners. 

"While there has been a rise in new donors of Black heritage in recent years, we are only able to provide matched blood for just over half of the hospital requests for Ro blood – most often needed by Sickle cell patients and most commonly found in donors of Black heritage – putting patients at risk of health complications in the future. 

"As one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, Londoners have the unique opportunity to be part of the solution by becoming donors."