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The Republic of Ireland will import blood from the NHS for a second time this year after stocks dropped to a "critical low".

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) said clinics cancelled because of Storm Barra had cost them about 300 donations, .

Prof Stephen Field, from the IBTS, said in recent weeks the service had been issuing more blood than it collected.

A consignment is being picked up from Manchester today.

Prof Field said it had become "increasingly difficult" to maintain the supply needed through Christmas and new year.

He said the move was part of a "contingency arrangement" with the NHS that will "avoid raising an alert under the Irish national blood shortage plan, which could have a serious impact on patient care".

"In recent weeks appointment cancellations and the high level of Covid-19 circulating in the community has made it difficult to fill all of our donation appointments.

"This means that for the last number of weeks we have been issuing more blood to hospitals than we have been able to collect."

He said the trend was being "encountered by most blood services internationally".

Stocks of O negative - the universal blood group - are under particular pressure, he added.