A SENIOR doctor has admitted the region faces a potential shortfall in blood supplies when new restrictions begin within days.

The comments by Dr Hazel Tinegate, a consultant working at the regional blood unit in Newcastle, underline the importance of The Northern Echo's campaign to recruit more donors.

From next Monday, about 5,000 donors in the North-East and North Yorkshire will be barred from giving any further donations because they have received transfusions since 1980.

This is due to theoretical concerns that they may have been exposed to the human form of mad cow disease.

In response to the decision, The Northern Echo launched the Lifeblood Appeal to urge new or lapsed donors to come forward to fill the gaps in the ranks of blood donors.

In an interview with The Northern Echo, Dr Tinegate said the full impact of the new restrictions would only be known after next Monday's cut-off date.

"With the best estimates we have, we are looking at losing around 5,000 donors in this region," she said.

She described this loss as significant and urged donors to come forward.

"Every unit donated is a wanted unit. If you are losing three per cent of your donors and you don't get any more, then obviously you will not have enough blood to go around," she said.

"While surgeons are doing wonderful things to conserve blood, there is potentially a shortfall. We are doing everything we can to get around that."

Because virtually every drop of donated blood is used, the three per cent drop will have an effect, the consultant said.

"The wastage is infinitesimal, so three per cent loss means there is three per cent less blood to give to people."

Dr Tinebrook said the National Blood Service (NBS) would be working closely with the region's hospitals to make everything was done to conserve blood.

She said the Echo's offer of help was "very timely and extremely helpful."

In an interview with The Northern Echo, Health Secretary Dr John Reid described this newspaper's initiative as "hugely helpful to us".

He said the NBS was preparing to launch a major campaign to make up the shortfall in donors.

"Although three per cent sounds small, and we think it can be coped with, we want to keep our blood stocks as healthy as they are at the moment.

"We need everybody's support," he said.

* For more information on giving blood, contact the National Blood Service helpline on 0845 7711711 or visit the website at www.blood.co.uk