MOST OF US will never need the kindness of strangers, thankfully. But newborn babies having surgery depend on it. The entire blood volume of a newborn is no bigger than a double espresso, so surgery in the early weeks of life almost always means a blood transfusion.

That’s why my ears prick up every time the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) issues a warning about low stock – as it did last week. Along with a plea for more donations, the IBTS sends a request to hospitals to bear the shortage in mind when scheduling major surgeries.

As if the patient and their healthcare team didn’t have enough to be worrying about when planning a big operation, the possibility that there might not be sufficient blood if they need it shouldn’t have to enter their minds.

When blood is needed, such as in ICU wards, it's needed in a hurry. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Low stock warnings have become more frequent over the last few years, despite our expanding population. The pattern of donation is reasonably predictable, usually dropping during holidays. It can also be at the mercy of the weather. However, the pattern of demand for transfusion is less predictable. But the overall trajectory is upward, as increasingly complex surgeries become more widely available.

While medical science continues to develop methods to use blood........

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