Shepton Mallet residents with the rare B negative blood type are being asked to come forward and donate as NHS Blood and Transplant warns that stocks are running worryingly low.

Across the South West, nearly 1,500 B negative donors are eligible to donate right now – but a decline in regular donors, combined with rising demand in hospitals, means supplies are under increasing strain.

Only two percent of people have B negative blood, which limits how quickly stocks can be replenished. And with B negative patients only able to receive B or O negative blood, a shortage quickly impacts emergency reserves too.

Since 2023, around 1,000 regular B negative donors have stopped giving, leaving fewer than 20,000 nationwide.

Gerry Gogarty, NHSBT's Director of Blood Supply, said: "We urgently need existing B negative donors to make an appointment to donate and more people with this blood type to become regular donors and help secure the life-saving supply of blood."

Relatives of B negative donors are also urged to step forward, as they are statistically more likely to be a match.

Appointments can be booked now at www.blood.co.uk, via the GiveBlood app or by calling 0300 123 23 23.