NHS Blood and Transplant says thank you to donors, blood donation supporters and companies in Wiltshire after the Missing Type campaign for National Blood Week 2015 (June 8-14) drove thousands of people to register as blood donors.

The public’s response to the campaign has been overwhelming with more than 30,000 people registering as donors. 20,000 more people registered during this year’s National Blood Week campaign compared to last year – a three fold increase.  The number of registrations surpassed all previous National Blood Week campaigns.

In Wiltshire 431 people registered as a blood donor between the campaign’s launch on June 5 and World Blood Donor Day on June 14. This compares to 139 in the same period last year.

The Missing Type campaign saw the letters A, O and B – the letters that make up the blood groups – removed from public view to draw attention to the need for new blood donors. Organisations and companies across the country changed social media profiles using #Missingtype to encourage people to sign up as new donors.

Thousands of blood donation supporters as well as around 1,000 multinational, national and SME brands – including small start-ups and family businesses - joined the cause. Some of the highest profile supporters were Downing Street, Waterstones Odeon, O2, Green and Black’s, NotOnTheHighStreet.com, NOW TV, GAME Google, 02, Microsoft, McDonalds, Hummingbird Bakery, British Airways, The Church of England, UNISON, Marmite, TFL, Coca-Cola, Arsenal Football Club, Santander, London Ambulance Service, Nandos and Starbucks.

The Missing Type campaign aimed to draw public attention to the fact that 40 per cent fewer new donors came forward last year compared to a decade ago.

While blood stocks are currently good, if not enough new people donate blood and these types were to go missing in years to come, there wouldn’t be enough blood available when patients need it in future.

Jon Latham of NHS Blood and Transplant said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everybody in Wiltshire who responded to our Missing Type campaign by either helping to spread the word or by signing up to donate.

"We are thrilled that more than 30,000 people across England and North Wales committed to save lives by registering as a blood donor.

“We hope that the thousands of people who registered will now go on to book an appointment and become regular donors and that the organisations who backed the campaign will continue to help us promote blood donation.

“Current stock levels are good so we don’t need new donors to walk in to donate now.

"If there aren’t any immediate appointments in the area in the next few weeks – don’t worry, book an appointment for the future. We plan our sessions in line with the blood patients need.

"If you recently signed up we look forward to welcoming you for your first donation. We obviously hope you will go on to become regular donors and help us meet patient needs for years to come.

“While we have captured the nation’s imagination with Missing Type the job is far from done. In order to ensure we have enough new donors coming forward this year to replace those who can no longer donate and to ensure we have the right mix of blood groups to meet patient needs now and in the future, we need new people to register every day and 204,000 to come forward as new donors this year. Giving blood is easy, it doesn’t take long to do and you can help save or improve up to three lives each time you donate. So what’s stopping you? Register as a blood donor today through www.blood.co.uk.”

If you are 17 or over, visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 to find out if you are eligible to donate, register as a blood donor and to book your appointment.

NHS Blood and Transplant, 14 Estuary Banks, Speke, Liverpool.