HEALTH bosses fear a “perfect storm” of events could see blood donations dramatically drop.

Staff from NHS Blood and Transplant have warned events such as the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee could see a serious fall in the number of donors.

An average of 1,300 units of blood are collected by people in Oxfordshire each week. But this dropped to just 921 in the week after Christmas, when people are traditionally busy.

Dominic Sutherland, donor relations manager for the Oxford area, said: “The main problem we have is that a string of bank holidays along with sporting events are going to prevent and reduce the opportunity for people going to donate.

“People may be taking extended holidays, potentially going to the events themselves or may even just be distracted.

“It’s going to be a very exciting year for the UK but we’re concerned that the cluster of major events could dramatically impact the number of blood donations coming in.”

A football World Cup quarter-final and Wimbledon semi-final in early July 2010 led to 851 fewer donations nationally than the same day a year earlier.

And there were thousands fewer donations nationally over the extra run of bank holidays around Easter and the Royal Wedding in 2011.

On average, Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital uses more than 500 units of blood each week, while hundreds more are issued to the county’s other hospitals.

Each unit, just under a pint at 470ml, can save three adult lives or seven babies.

In 2009, more than 1,700 Oxford Mail readers signed up to donate after we ran our Gift of Life campaign, potentially saving more than 5,000 lives.

But about two million units of blood will be needed nationwide in 2012 and the blood service has estimated it needs the equivalent of 500 extra donations each week in the first six months. The aim is to help build blood stocks and provide extra resources for those visiting the country for the Olympics.

So far, blood donation staff in Oxfordshire have collected 31,000 units of blood for the 2011-2012 financial year. Their target is 42,000.

In 2007, Oxford Mail photographer Tony Moore celebrated giving 500 pints of blood.

And Colin Cook, Oxford city councillor for Jericho and Osney, who has been giving blood since he was 18, has clocked up an impressive 76 donations.

He said: “I would encourage people to make a donation because you never know when you might be in the position where you will need it yourself. It doesn’t take that long, it’s not that painful and you get a free cup of tea or coffee from nice, friendly people.”

Matt Simpson, 21, from Caversfield, would not be alive today if it weren’t for the generosity of local people. He was critically injured in a car accident between Brackley and Buckingham in June 2008 in which four other people died, and needed 12 pints of blood to survive.

Mr Simpson said: “It saved my life. I feel very grateful to the people who gave up their time and helped out someone they didn’t even know.

“It’s such a good cause, I don’t see why anyone who can wouldn’t do it.”