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Last Updated: Tuesday, 14 June, 2005, 04:58 GMT 05:58 UK
Why Heather wants your blood
Lady Heather Mills McCartney wears a National Blood Service T shirt in the Breakfast studio
Heather: accident changed her life
Twelve years ago, the model Heather Mills had a horrific accident, in which she lost her leg.

But it could have been far worse.

Blood donations helped save Heather's life - and now she's launching a campaign to recruit more blood donors.

  • Lady Heather Mills McCartney dropped into the Breakfast studio to tell us more about her campaign to recruit more blood donors

    The National Blood Service needs around 8,000 donations a day to keep the NHS supplied with blood in England and Wales alone.

    Each donation is given completely voluntarily - and there's no payment involved, apart from a cup of tea and a biscuit for the donor.

    At the moment, only around 6% of eligible adults in the UK are donors - that's around 1.3m people. Between them, they gave 2.3m donations last year.

    The National Blood Service is launching a drive to recruit more donors.

    In principle, anyone can give blood between the ages of 17 and 60.

    But, because of the risk of passing on blood-borne diseases, some groups are no longer allowed to give blood. That includes gay men, intravenous drug users and anyone who's had a blood transfusion in Britain since 1980.

  • To find out more about becoming a blood donor, you can ring the National Blood Service: 0845 7 711 711

  • BBC NEWS: VIDEO AND AUDIO
    Why giving blood saves lives
    Breakfast talked to Lady Heather Mills McCartney



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