Northwest Biotherapeutics has teamed up with the UK NHS Blood and Transplant to enhance the production of the DCVax®-L cancer vaccine, aiming for greater accessibility.

<p>Organ donation: NHS launches first-ever urgent response Organ Donation Week (21 to 27 September 2026) opened with stark news: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has, for the first time ever, put…

Health leaders in the United Kingdom have warned that organ donation is declining sharply, prompting NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to launch an urgent response plan. Around 8,700 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant, while deceased donation rates are 9% lower than at the same point last year. NHSBT described the situation as one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in more than a decade. The organisation is working to establish the reasons behind the decline and has called for a collective effort across the NHS and wider society. Family consent rates have also fallen, from 67% in 2020–21 to 57% last year, meaning that fewer potential donations proceed when relatives are asked to make a decision. Anthony Clarkson, NHSBT’s director of organ and tissue donation, urged members of the public to register their wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register and to discuss those wishes with their families. He said that opportunities to save lives can be lost when relatives do not know what a loved one wanted. The importance of donation was highlighted by the story of Miriam Lee, who died aged 17 after a sudden cardiac arrest. Her parents consented to donate her organs after learning that she had registered as a donor. Her liver was transplanted into Ollie Jolliff, who was 11 months old and had a genetic condition at the time. Ollie is now 10. His family described Miriam’s donation as a selfless decision that transformed their lives. The warning came as Organ Donation Week began, an annual campaign intended to raise awareness of the benefits of donation and encourage people to record their decisions.

Bolton boy Qasim Rizwan, 9, survives autoimmune haemolytic anaemia after NHSBT sent all six matching rare blood units from its frozen blood bank in…

Qasim Rizwan, from Bolton, said he feels as if his “life has restarted” after overcoming autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA). He also visited experts at the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) national frozen blood bank in Liverpool, who helped save his life. Qasim was diagnosed with AIHA in June last year, but doctors at Manchester Children’s Hospital initially struggled to match his blood type. Scientists at NHSBT discovered he was a rare mix, including r'r', a subtype of the Rhesus system that is shared by roughly one in 10,000 people. Only around 50 blood donors are type r'r'.

Bolton boy Qasim Rizwan, 9, survives autoimmune haemolytic anaemia after NHSBT sent all six matching rare blood units from its frozen blood bank in Liverpool.

A nine-year-old with a rare blood type was saved by NHSBT scientists in Liverpool and later visited their lab to thank them. Qasim Rizwan, from Bolton, was diagnosed with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia last year and needed rare blood units.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is rolling out a programme to introduce ‘double-matched’ blood transfusions to 24 kidney transplant units across England, with the aim of reducing the number of people...

The NHS is implementing a 'double matching' blood process for kidney transplant patients to reduce the risk of organ rejection. This initiative, which aligns both blood types and white blood cell types (HLA matching), could prevent up to 100 kidney transplants from being rejected annually. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is investing £1.37 million to roll out the programme nationwide after a successful pilot at London's Hammersmith Hospital and the Royal Free. The move aims to decrease waiting times for transplants, as some patients have waited decades for an organ. Blood transfusions before or after surgery can lead to antibody formation, increasing rejection risks. Experts highlight that matching HLA types closely reduces these risks. Patients like Ellyn Laws, who has had four transplants, and Laura, who has experienced multiple rejections, welcome the initiative. Fiona Loud of Kidney Care UK notes the high waiting list and the importance of reducing immune responses. The programme could save lives and address health inequalities, offering hope to highly sensitised patients.

The medical data of transplant patients from across the UK was sent over an unencrypted pager network.

The NHSBT-led RESTORE trial features in The New Yorker magazine article on on research into growing blood outside of the body.

A virtual reality blood transfusion training programme that could help save lives has been created by a Manchester Metropolitan doctoral student. Clinical

Background Group AB plasma does not contain anti-A or anti-B antibodies and is therefore considered universal but is in limited supply (4% of the population). There is currently no licensed universa...

Channel 4 has partnered with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) for a new branded entertainment dating series, Love is in the Blood, for Channel 4.0.