Islanders thanked for blood donations

Manx Care collected 47 units of blood following a donor appeal earlier this week.

The organisation has thanked islanders for coming forward.

A spokesman said it means Noble's won't need to buy its usual stock from the UK which is experiencing a shortage of supplies.

A UK amber alert was put in force earlier this month to ensure blood reached patients most in need.

The NHS in England usually has six days' worth of blood stocks, but levels have fallen to below two days.

O blood groups are in particular demand because O positive is the most common blood type, and everyone can receive O negative blood in an emergency or if a person's blood type isn't known.