LOCAL people are being urged to give the most important present they can this Christmas by donating blood.

Donor sessions are being held across the region during December to help make sure hospitals have the blood they need to treat patients this winter.

The NHS Blood and Transplant service has warned bad weather and busy schedules mean donations are expected to drop significantly over the Christmas period and colds and winter bugs will also temporarily rule many people who donate regularly.

Donations of vulnerable blood groups including O negative and A negative which can be given to all patients and B negative which accounts for only two per cent of donors, are expected to fall to their lowest point of the year over the festive period.

Hospitals, however, will still rely on around 6,000 units of blood a day for patients.

Karen Healy, senior marketing co-ordinator at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “If you can make and keep an appointment this December you will be doing an incredibly important thing – helping us to save and improve lives at a time when patients need every donor.

“Please make a date to donate now. Each blood donation you make can save or improve the lives of up to three people and platelet donors can help three adults or 12 children each time they donate.”

Sessions take place at Cam Memorial Hall on Tuesday, December 8, St Dominic’s Hall in Dursley on Wednesday, December 16 (both 1.25-3.30pm and 4.30-7.30pm), Thornbury’s Armstrong Hall on Monday, December 21 (12.55-3.30pm and 4.30-7.45pm), Chipping Sodbury Town Hall on Christmas Eve and the Greenfield Centre in Winterbourne on New Year’s Eve (both 10.30am-2.45pm).

New blood and platelet donors are always welcome. For more information or to book an appointment call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk