On October 14, 2025, the National Health Service (NHS) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) unveiled a fresh campaign designed to address England’s chronic blood shortage by tapping into a new pool of potential donors—young people applying for their first driving licence. The initiative, announced by both organizations and reported by BBC News and The Mirror, leverages the DVLA’s unique reach: millions of driving licence applications are processed every year, most of them from young adults just entering the world of driving and, potentially, blood donation.
The new scheme is straightforward. After submitting their application for a driving licence, applicants will receive a follow-up email. Included is a direct link to register as a blood donor and a message highlighting just how life-saving a single donation can be. The hope is that, by catching people at a milestone moment—often their 17th birthday, when they can both learn to drive and start giving blood—the NHS will inspire a new generation of regular donors.
This campaign is no shot in the dark. It builds on the remarkable success of a similar prompt introduced in 1994, when the driving licence application process began including an option to join the organ donor register. According to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), about 70% of people now on the organ donor register signed up because of that nudge. The hope is that the blood donor prompt will have a comparable impact, ensuring England’s hospitals have the supplies they desperately need.
“At 17 you can both learn to drive and start giving blood,” said Altaf Kazi, assistant partnerships director for NHSBT. “So this new partnership with the DVLA is a fantastic opportunity for the NHS to reach more younger people who have a lifetime of donating ahead of them.”
The urgency behind this campaign can’t be overstated. Hospitals across England require 5,000 blood donations every single day to treat a wide array of conditions, from traumatic injuries and childbirth complications to blood disorders and cancer treatments. Yet, the NHS has been sounding the alarm for some time now about a persistent blood shortage. Last year, the situation became so acute that the health service issued an “amber alert,” meaning supplies had dipped low enough to potentially impact patient treatment. The warning has remained in place, with officials stressing a “critical” need for more donors—particularly those with O negative blood, which can be given to the majority of patients in emergencies.
The demographic challenge is significant. More than half of all regular blood donors are now over the age of 45, and as these donors age, it becomes increasingly important to replenish the ranks with younger people. “More than half of our regular donors are aged over 45. We need more young people to become regular donors to ensure lifesaving blood is there for patients who need it now and in the future,” Kazi explained. He added, “Giving blood is quick and easy. In just one hour you can save up to three lives. Please register and book your first appointment today.”
Tim Moss, chief executive of the DVLA, echoed the sense of responsibility—and opportunity—his agency feels. “We’re proud to support NHS Blood and Transplant in encouraging more young people to become blood donors. With millions of driving licence applications processed each year, DVLA is in a unique position to help raise awareness and make it easier for people to take that first step.” Moss emphasized, “This simple addition to our digital services could help save lives. Younger donors are vital to the future of the blood supply, and we’re pleased to play a part in helping more of them get involved.”
For young people like Maisie Marsh, a 17-year-old teaching assistant from Liverpool, the need for blood donations isn’t an abstract issue—it’s deeply personal. Maisie has a rare blood disorder called pyruvate kinase deficiency, and she’s received over 100 transfusions throughout her life. She’s eager to learn to drive soon, but even more eager to see more people her age step up as donors. “Many people my age probably haven’t thought of giving blood. Having the option to sign up when applying for a driving licence is a good way to get the message out to people who are the right age to start donating,” Maisie told The Mirror. “I know first-hand the difference blood donors make. Transfusions were vital for me to grow and thrive when I was young and now they help me to stay well and lead a normal life.”
Maisie’s story is a powerful reminder that blood transfusions aren’t just for emergencies. “People mostly associate blood transfusions with emergencies but every day there are so many people like me who need blood for ongoing conditions. My family and I are always asking people to give blood if they can. It’s so easy, and you save lives.”
People can register as blood donors from age 16 and begin donating at 17—the same age they’re eligible to get behind the wheel. The timing couldn’t be better, and NHSBT is optimistic that catching people at this crossroads will have a lasting impact. As Kazi put it, “This new partnership with the DVLA is a fantastic opportunity for the NHS to reach more younger people who have a lifetime of donating ahead of them.”
The need for blood is constant, and the range of patients who benefit is broad: accident victims, new mothers, cancer patients, and those with chronic blood disorders all rely on a steady supply. According to NHSBT, the daily demand for 5,000 blood donations is non-negotiable if hospitals are to provide the care their patients require. The NHS has called for 200,000 new donors to come forward to maintain a safe and reliable supply. The hope is that this new campaign will help close that gap, especially as older donors retire from the donor pool.
England’s blood supply system is overseen by NHS Blood and Transplant, which has been at the forefront of efforts to modernize and expand the donor base. The agency’s partnership with the DVLA is just the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at making blood donation easier and more visible. By integrating the prompt into a routine digital process, officials hope to normalize donation and make it as much a rite of passage as getting a driver’s license itself.
With the campaign now underway, the NHS and DVLA are watching closely to see if the strategy pays off. If history is any guide, the results could be transformative. The organ donor register prompt in the driving licence application changed the landscape of organ donation in England, and there’s every reason to believe a similar approach could revolutionize blood donation too.
For now, the message is clear and urgent: England needs more blood donors, and there’s no better time—or easier way—to start than when applying for a driving licence. For patients like Maisie Marsh, and thousands of others, the impact of a single donation can last a lifetime.
