BLOOD donation sessions could be halted if staff vote to strike over proposed closures of processing centres.
Members of the trade union Amicus will vote on action amid fears that the NHS Blood Service could close 14 centres - including one in Manchester - where blood is tested.
The centres could be replaced with three regional "super centres", in Bristol and unnamed locations in the South-east and the North. Amicus says highly skilled technical and scientific roles could not easily be relocated, and moving blood greater distances could mean delays in delivering supplies.
Kevin Coyne, the trade union's national officer for health, said: "The NHS and the nation has invested millions in training these staff and now proposes to just dispose of them."
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