NHS goes global with ‘Missing Type’ blood donor campaign

The NHS has launched the next phase of its high profile blood donor recruitment initiative, and this time it's looking to have an impact on a global scale.

The 'Missing Type' campaign from NHS Blood and Transplant highlights the service's ever-present need for new blood donors of all blood types by removing the letters 'A', 'B' and 'O' from company logos.

First launched in 2015, the campaign got both large and small businesses involved, with big name brands such as Boots, Manchester City Football Club, Microsoft, the Royal Air Force and Waterstones removing the letters from their branding in support of the cause.

Jon Latham, assistant director for marketing and donor services at NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), said: “'Missing Type' really captured people's imaginations last year, drawing important attention to the need for new blood donors.

“In just ten days of campaign activity 30,000 people registered as blood donors across England and North Wales.”

This year, the 'Missing Type' movement has a global scale involving 20 other countries and creating one of the largest public sector campaigns in recent history.

Latham added: “Our campaign concept was very positively received by other blood services around the world.

“We're really proud to have led this year's campaign across 25 services in 21 countries covering one billion of the world's population to draw global attention to the decline in new blood donors and need for people to start donating.”

NHSBT requires 1.6 million pints of blood each year to meet patient need in England, necessitating 200,000 new donors annually.

In a survey for the 'Missing Type', participating services reported a 27.6% drop in the number of people giving blood for the first time from 2005 to 2015.

Mike Stredder, director of Blood Donation at NHSBT, said: “Blood donation is an amazing gift. Transfusions save lives and transform health for millions across the world.

“Whether it is patients receiving treatment for cancer, blood disorders, after accidents or during surgery, or new mums who lost blood in childbirth, blood is an absolutely essential part of modern healthcare.”