How visitors to Alton Towers Resort’s iconic Scarefest can help NHS tackle urgent blood donor shortage

• Blood testing partnership comes after NHS in England issued amber alert for only its second time ever
• Guests will be able to get their blood tested in less time than it takes to ride Nemesis Reborn

Alton Towers Resort is helping the NHS tackle the urgent shortage of blood donors this winter - through a spine-tingling partnership.

It comes as blood supplies dropped to an all-time low, forcing the NHS in England to issue an amber warning for only the second time in its history, earlier this year.

The partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant will see their specialist teams carry out free blood testing to visitors to Alton Towers Resort on 18th October, during Scarefest, which kicked off on Friday (October 11th).

The testing will involve a quick finger prick blood test that allows the NHS to identify your blood type. The NHS needs nearly 5,000 people to give blood every day to meet the needs of hospitals and patients.

Identifying blood types is an essential step in driving donations, as well as helping the NHS to identify those with rarer blood types such as O negative which is in particularly short supply.

O negative is known as the universal blood type as it can be given to almost anyone and is vital in emergencies. Just eight per cent of the population have it but it accounts for 15 per cent of hospital usage.

The testing is the latest step in Alton Towers Resort’s activity with NHS Blood and Transplant, which has seen the theme park offer volunteer opportunities for its 2,000 employees, all aimed at boosting blood donations across the country.

By participating in this initiative, Alton Towers visitors can make a real difference to the country’s blood supplies in the time it takes to ride Nemesis Reborn.

During Scarefest, thrillseekers can experience 80 seconds of pure adrenaline after dark on the ride, whilst blood test results can be completed in just 60 seconds.

As well as taking on the iconic Nemesis Reborn, Scarefest guests this year can also experience new scare maze COMPOUND, where the shadowy Phalanx organisation are said to be experimenting with DNA from the beast itself.

Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “As we face one of the potentially most challenging winters in our recent history, it’s vital we continue to find new ways to bring in new donors.

“We know that by encouraging people to get their blood typed, people are more likely to donate. By partnering with Alton Towers we hope to be able to drive more donations that will help save patients’ lives.”

Bianca Sammut, Divisional Director at Alton Towers Resort, said: “At Alton Towers Resort we entertain countless millions of visitors a year through our stand-out attractions.

“This Scarefest we’re immensely proud to announce our new partnership with NHS Blood & Transplant to help them drive donations as supplies run critically low.

“We’d encourage as many guests as possible to take advantage of the blood testing facilities on site, there’s a huge demand for donors so knowing if you’re eligible to donate is the crucial first step.”

To find out more about blood donation click here