Northampton to host one of 14 plasma donation centres to help coronavirus patients

NHS Blood and Transplant is opening a new blood plasma donation centre in Northampton - one of only 14 in the country.

The Northampton donor centre will open as one of 14 new plasma donation centres supporting two COVID-19 treatment trials.

The new centre will open in the next few weeks. The final venue is being agreed and will be announced shortly.

A spokesperson for the NHS said "There is an urgent need for people in Northampton who have had COVID to register as donors now, so that they can be booked into appointments in advance. You can register online by searching ‘donate plasma’.

"The antibody-rich plasma of people who’ve had coronavirus can be transfused into people who are struggling to develop their own immune response. The antibodies could slow or stop the virus spreading, which could save lives," the spokesperson added.

"There is promising evidence for the effectiveness of convalescent plasma but before general use patient benefit needs to be demonstrated in randomised control trials. The NHS Blood and Transplant led trials are the world’s largest randomised clinical trials of convalescent plasma," the spokesperson said.

Donations are urgently needed so that if the trial confirms patient benefit, plasma can be made readily available for general use in the NHS.

Hospitals in Northampton have transfused around 12 people.

NHSBT currently collects plasma in 28 areas and Northampton is one of 14 chosen for the expansion of autumn and winter because it has a significant number of potential donors.

Professor David Roberts, NHSBT Associate Medical Director for Blood Donation, and also one of the trial’s Principal Investigators, said: “We have so far seen a fantastic response from the public. We would love to see people in Northampton offering to donate so we can book them into donation appointments now. Donation is safe and easy, and you could save lives.”

Donation takes about 45 minutes. The whole visit – including the donation, snacks and checks - takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. Your body usually replaces the plasma you’ve donated in 24-48 hours. Your body also quickly replaces the donated antibodies. All donations are tested for COVID antibodies. NHSBT is collaborating with the REMAP-CAP and RECOVERY trials.

• If you’ve had confirmed coronavirus or the symptoms, you can volunteer to donate plasma at www.nhsbt.nhs.uk