About platelets
Platelets help stop bleeding and can help people with cancer.
Why we need more platelet donors
Our amazing donors help meet the increasing demand for platelets to help people undergoing cancer treatment.
Platelets last just 7 days after they’ve been donated so we rely on people to donate regularly throughout the year.
As well as a growing hospital demand for platelets we also need new donors to replace those who can no longer give.
Who platelets help
Most donations help people who are undergoing cancer treatment.
Platelets can help avoid blood loss during chemotherapy.
Who can benefit from platelets:
- 69% of donations go to people with cancer
- 17% helps people who’ve had surgery
- 8% helps people with medical conditions
- 5% goes to adults in intensive care
- 1% helps babies through intensive treatment
Archie's story
What are platelets?
Platelets are tiny gold-coloured cells in your blood which help it clot and stop bleeding.
Platelet transfusions can help people with cancer and people who’ve lost a lot of blood after an accident, organ transplant or surgery.
One donation can help up to 3 adults or 12 children.
My grandad and my dad both had prostate cancer and needed platelet transfusions. So I decided to keep donating.
Mark has been a donor for more than 10 years
Could you donate?
Right now there is a need for new platelet donors.
We need people with A negative, AB negative and A positive blood types to step forward and donate platelets to help people with cancer.