THE NHS has warned blood stocks are critically low – with donors needed now more than ever. Recent cyber attacks have made the situation worse, with an Amber Alert issued at some NHS hospitals, restricting O negative and O positive blood types. If you are an O-type donor, call 0300 123 23 23 to make an appointment or visit orlo.
uk/bPTiE. Don’t be put off if you don’t know your blood type – you are still wanted! Sign up on the NHSBT website, nhsbt.nhs.
uk, to get started. You can donate during your lunch break and just an hour of your time can save up to three lives. There are just under 800,000 regular blood donors, 108,000 of whom are O negative and the NHS is now asking people to donate more regularly.
Hospitals will continue to carry out emergency surgery, cancer surgery, transplant surgery and blood transfusions for those who need blood. But they will need to prioritise patients and you never know when a loved one will need help. Here’s a selection of what readers have asked me this week .
. . Most read in Health Q: I AM 79-year-old male and 52 years ago I had a vasectomy.
In the past six weeks I have had pain in my testicles and lower abdomen and I am urinating ten times a day. After seeing my GP, he sent me for a scan, which showed two cysts where the tubes had been tied. Although he said there was nothing to worry about, the pain is worse.
Could it be more serious? A: Thanks for writing in with this problem. I can see why you have connected your symptoms right.