NHS Issues Amber Alert Amid ‘Unprecedentedly Low’ Blood Stocks

The NHS has issued a national blood shortage amber alert for only the second time ever, after supplies of O type blood reached unprecedentedly low levels. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) asked hospitals on Thursday to restrict the use of O type blood to essential cases. An amber alert also means that hospitals move staff to labs to vet the use of all O type blood. The call comes amid what the NHS called a “perfect storm” of increased demand of O type blood from hospitals following a cyberattack that hit major London hospitals in June and meant appointments at donor centres went unfilled....