On Tuesday the team of people working in Uckfield to collect blood were working even harder than before due to the COVID impact on the community. For the first time some of us had to queue outside because of the challenge that the team was facing of protecting the people inside who were donating or managing the donation. However we were all being encouraged to remain in the queue because of the huge requirements that the NHS is facing for blood. My donation was 66th donation and I know some of the other people have donated similar amounts during their lives, but there were also several people who had never given blood before. The message from the email was very clear and they are keen for more of us to take part given the urgent need for blood and the challenge for some people who can no longer give blood for a range of reasons. Anyone who is able to do so can go on this website.

Now of course I usually write pieces about political comments so here are a couple of recent statements. So back in March this year Imran Ahmad Khan asked this question and the response came from Helen Whately

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote blood donations during the covid-19 outbreak.

In collaboration with Anthony Nolan, NHS Blood and Transplant has continued to promote blood donation during the pandemic, using a combination of partnership outreach, press and social coverage, paid media and extensive direct communications to targeted groups. It has also maintained regular engagement with the public and donors to reinforce the ongoing need for blood donation and to overcome perceived barriers, such as whether travel to donate was allowed and safety of the donation sessions.

And then more recently Kirsten Oswald, the SNP MP was speaking as part of the Pride Month debate and stated

That is what I want to see: a better, fairer, more equal, inclusive country, where diversity is celebrated. Scotland has been helping to lead the way on LGBT equality. The SNP Government have a strong record of advancing and championing LGBT rights. They have delivered the most progressive and extensive equal marriage legislation, and the reformed blood donation rules, which we have heard about. It was good to hear from my hon. Friend John Nicolson about his work on the Turing Bill, which the Scottish Government enacted—and I could go on. The thing is that that all these great strides need to be our incentive to keep on and to do more.

It would be fantastic if we can find ways of donating more blood so that the NHS is able to do all of its work.