Ed Davey calls for vaccines and blood donations in supermarkets and workplaces to beat the winter crisis
The party’s plan would see seasonal vaccination and blood donation points in village halls, supermarkets, churches, workplaces and social clubs to deliver record levels of vaccination and blood stocks ahead of the winter. It would call upon volunteers to help put jabs in arms, as well as supporting blood donation staff. Reliable blood stocks would prevent operations being cancelled in the winter crunch, while increased vaccination would reduce hospitalisations and bed occupancy.
Blood stocks face a dual pressure in winter, as seasonal illness and busier diaries reduce donations, while demand for blood increases due to increased emergency admissions and more pressure on elective treatment. In winter of 2024-5 this reached crisis point and, during Christmas, hospital demand exceeded collections by close to 3,000 units, with O negative alone running short by over 900 units.
The number of regular blood donors with the in-demand types O negative and B negative has dropped five percent since 2020.
Meanwhile declining rates of vaccination threaten to increase hospital admissions - with party analysis revealing that influenza vaccination for over 65s fell by around 8 percentage points - nearly 1 in 10 - between 2021/22 and 2025/26. Last winter surging rates of flu were responsible for extremely high hospital admissions, with flu related hospitalisations rising by 55% in one week and peaking at 3061 patients a day in the week ending 21st December.
The NHS is now approaching winter having faced the busiest summer ever recorded. May, June and July 2026 rank as the three busiest months on record for A&E activity in England, with July alone seeing 2.5 million attendances - the busiest single month in NHS history. The hot weather also has a negative impact on blood donations and even on normal warm weather days, blood donations can often drop by 5% to 10% down on what was expected due to the impact on donor iron levels.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:
“The NHS is buckling, with patients paying the price.
“From pensioners being treated on crammed hospital corridors, to families having the rug pulled out from under them by cancelled operations, this summer has been brutal for patients and staff alike. The government needs to act now to protect families from a devastating winter crisis and stop hospitals becoming totally overwhelmed once again.
“We all want to do our bit to help our neighbours, our families and communities. By opening vaccine clinics and blood donations on people’s doorstep, in the places they know and visit, we can deliver record levels of vaccinations and blood stocks. We need action now to protect families - not a kneejerk, last minute response to a crisis that everyone can see coming."