BLOOD donors in Devon are being reminded that blood is needed all year round, especially at Christmas.

NHS Blood and Transplant is urging donors to make and keep appointments to donate blood this month, to ensure hospitals can continue to treat patients over the festive season.

In Tavistock, the next donation session takes place in Tavistock Methodist Church on January 10, 2017 with two sessions in the afternoon and evening.

In Okehampton, the next donation session is on February 9 at the Charter Hall.

There will be donation sessions in the area, including at Yelverton, Chagford and Callington, in the weeks ahead. Visit www.blood.co.uk for more information and to book an appointment.

There is demand for lifesaving blood and platelets 365 days a year, this doesn’t stop for Christmas. Many children and adults will need transfusions over the festive period, for example as treatment for a blood condition or cancer or due to surgery, childbirth or an accident.

With the winter weather, rise in colds and bugs, travelling and people getting busy, giving blood and platelets can slip off to-do lists. Around a third of appointments remain unbooked in December. Over the festive season around 24,000 appointments to give blood are also missed.

If you are unable to make your appointment it is important you let the NHS know, with seven days notice if possible, so that another blood donor can be booked in.

In December the number of appointments cancelled by donors, within three days of the session, rises by nearly a third.

Mike Stredder, director of blood donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: ‘We need our amazing donors more than ever at this time of year.

‘If you make and keep an appointment this December you will be saving and improving lives over the festive season — can you think of a better gift to give?’

Red blood cells only have a shelf life of 35 days, and platelets, tiny cells in the blood which enable clotting, only have a shelf life of seven days. Every week the entire red cell stock needs replacing and the national supply of platelets needs replenishing every few days. NHS Blood and Transplant needs people to continue donating over the holiday period to renew stocks and meet demand from hospitals treating seriously ill patients.

To book an appointment visit www.blood.co.uk, or use an NHS Give Blood app.