NHS recruits Marvel stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman to help drive blood donations

Ahead of the premiere of new film, Deadpool & Wolverine, the NHS has teamed up with the film’s stars to encourage Manchester’s filmgoers to donate blood.

Alongside the slogan – “Be the Giving Type – stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have appeared in a video for NHS Give Blood that was intercut with action scenes from their respective blockbusters.

While Reynolds joked that 'hot-tubs worth' of fake blood had been spilled in the name of entertainment', to make their action-packed films, Jackman said: “Real blood is harder to come by - that’s why the NHS needs heroes like you to donate it. Just one hour of your time could save up to three lives.”

READ MORE: Blood needed every eight minutes in Manchester amid NHS urgent call for lifesaving donors as stocks run low

The video will be played on social media and shown in cinemas to encourage people, especially in the 17 to 35 age category, to donate blood. The campaign hopes to fill the around 700 appointments available in Manchester’s two donation centres, Plymouth Grove and Norfolk House, over the summer and into autumn.

The NHS say that as many as three blood donations are needed every minute. They are vital in treating injuries, and play an important role in fighting cancer and sickle cell disease.

They need up to 200,000 new blood donors every year to replace those who stop donating. Additionally, the NHS needs to ensure it has the right mix of blood types: O, A, B and AB.

There is an especially urgent need for O negative donations, as it is compatible with all other blood types – but the best match typically comes from blood donors from the same ethnic background.

The campaign hopes to encourage people from the Black community to donate, as they are more likely to