That the Parliament welcomes the news that the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) will be returning to Orkney from 11 to 13 May 2026 to offer blood donation appointments to islanders; understands that, in the past, opportunities to donate blood have not been regularly available to those living in Orkney, due to the logistical challenges of storing and transporting blood to the Scottish mainland; acknowledges the fantastic work that the team at SNBTS has undertaken in recent years to resolve those challenges, which resulted in blood donation opportunities being made available to islanders in the spring of 2025, nearly 16 years after initial trial sessions were conducted locally; notes that the sessions in 2025 demonstrated the huge local interest in taking advantage of the opportunity to donate blood and platelets, with 239 donors attending, almost half of whom were new donors; recognises the life-saving work that is carried out thanks to blood donation, and the importance of making this service accessible in rural and island communities in Scotland; thanks SNBTS for providing islanders with this further chance to donate; encourages anyone in Orkney who is able to give blood to do so, and looks forward to such visits being a regular feature of the work of SNBTS in the future.
Supported by: Colin Beattie, Annabelle Ewing, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Audrey Nicoll, Paul Sweeney, Brian Whittle