3. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the NHS has sufficient stocks of blood for the winter period. (S5O-00451)

Each year, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service makes robust plans to raise awareness of the need for blood donations during the winter period and to maintain supplies of blood across Scotland. SNBTS employs various strategies to boost the number of donors. For example, throughout the period, SNBTS will contact existing donors in order to build up supplies of each of the eight major blood groups, and a television campaign, which is supported by a digital campaign, commenced on 28 November.

I thank all donors for their support and I encourage everyone who can to donate.

We all accept that it is impossible, because blood stocks have a limited shelf life, to stockpile supplies. At the beginning of the week, types O negative, O positive and B negative were down to five or six days’ supply. Will the Scottish Government increase the promotional output for the annual “Give blood” campaign to encourage more people to give blood for the first time or to do so again?

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service aims to stock a six-day supply of every major blood group. At the current time, it has six or more days’ supply of all but two of the eight main blood groups—it has a five-day supply of O positive and B negative blood. As a result, it does not have significant concerns about stock levels at present, but we will fully support its publicity campaign to encourage more blood donations over the winter period. In addition, we are supporting its efforts to encourage new donors.

As I said in my earlier answer, people who have never previously given blood could not pick a better time to start than during the festive period.