AB negative blood type

Why is AB negative blood so important?

AB negative donations are extremely versatile, but because it is the rarest blood type finding new donors can be a challenge.

Plasma from AB negative donations can help treat patients of all blood types, however fresh frozen plasma is only produced from male donations. This is because female donors (especially those who have been pregnant) can develop antibodies that, while no danger to themselves, can prove life threatening to patients transfused with their plasma.

To avoid waste and to achieve the balance of plasma and red cells required by patients, we manage AB negative donations differently to other blood groups.

We encourage our male donors to donate as frequently as possible while asking female donors to wait to donate until contacted directly by us.

As the scarcest blood type, relatively small changes in the number of donations collected or requested by hospital can have a dramatic and immediate effect on the amount of AB negative we store.

At these times, we rely on the support of all AB negative donors to help prevent waste and ensure patients continue to receive the blood and blood products needed to save and improve lives.

We are looking for AB negative blood donors to switch to giving platelets. Each time you donate you could help up to 3 adults or 12 children. Find out about donating platelets