[Closed] Giving Blood

Info here.

I can't donate unfortunately.

https://www.blood.co.uk/the-donation-process/

I haven't been for about 5 years now but did used to go reasonably regularly. I should go again.

I used to do it regularly when they came to where I work and it was convenient. I good thing to do especially if you're one of the more common blood types. If you don't like needles then you might struggle, it's a chunky one...but on the other hand it doesn't really hurt when they insert it...a sharp pain for a split second, you don't have to look - not much more than a nettle sting really. They do give you the option for a patch to dull the pain, I didn't take it up because the pain really is quite low and a very short time so no point wasting resources and hold up the process any longer than it needs to be.

You can just rock up, or I did when I first started doing it. I think you need some ID and there is a bit of a process for them to register you and ask all the usual questions about illnesses, deseises, if you've been to a dodgy country recently and if you've had a tattoo in recent months.

You'll struggle to just show and donate without an appointment , best to ring and see when you can get in . They seem to like you to use the app now to book your next donation .

Platelets once a month.

Defo worth it.

Yup, used to give regularly. Got the badges and certificates.
Main pain is being in there waiting. It's the most shambolic set up imaginable. NHS at it's disorganised best. Muscial chairs. You all move along a set of chairs to get to a desk. Some minor procedure then onto another set of chairs where the same happens. Then another set of chairs. You have to queue up 4 times before you even see any action. Total PIA, and wastes a lot of time. Round here they introduced an appointment system, but let's not forget we are talking NHS systems, so it was totally shambolic. The appointmnet they gave you wasn't when you were giving blood, it was when you were joining the first of the queues. You didn't need to book in for that, you could just rock up. So they stopped that.

I got to the maximum they allowed so don't go anymore so things might have improved, but I doubt it.

Once you get onto a bed it is simplicity itself. A quick needle in your arm, lie there for 10-15 minutes, then a quick cuppa and a biscuit and off you toddle.

Well worth doing, and you might need it yourself one day. But the organisation....this place is better run than the Blood Donor system round here.

Go for a beer afterwards! cheap night!

Yes, generally 3 times a year when I am back in the UK. Easy to do, takes about an hour and you get a free biscuit.

I'm slightly peeved this year. I am coming back on Sunday and they always complain that blood stocks run low over the Christmas period. There are no donation sessions after mid-December.

I can't as I've had a transfusion.

I'd love to. But it's daft I can't..

We have a running total in the office, over 20 pints this year so far ! I am another who cannot donate unfortunately.

I used to be a regular donor when I lived near a donor clinic it was nice and easy to just rock up and donate
I have only donated 3 or 4 times in past 5 years due to moving and having to visit the mobile clincs.
As others have said the mobile clinics chaos! Rock up without an appointment they don't like that, yet try and get an appointment !

I used to donate but apparently don't have enough iron now to let other people have it.

It's fine, just avert your gaze if concerned.

Definitely book, otherwise you’ll be waiting all day. If any doubt re travel history give them a ring to save you wasting your time.

You need to book, regardless of what Facebook memes might tell you.

I walked into the mobile place, but I had to sign up and then book, they couldn't just take it there and then.

I used to when I was able to use the Welsh services. I've tried to several times now in this English service but you now can't just drop in by me, you need to book in about 2 months in advance which is no use. They close over lunch and are packed up by 5pm hardly makes it easy to donate if you work.

Most of the sessions round my way have now been made appointment only. They encourage you to book the next session while you're having the tea/squash and biscuits at the end, but I don't build up the iron fast enough to donate more frequently than 6 months, and they don't book that far ahead. The idea that you book and still queue is frustrating, as is the texts you get saying "we need more blood, donate now" and find that none of the sessions within 20 miles have any appointment slots. Still try to get two donation per year in though.

I do. I'm up to something like 15 donations now. It's the best thing I ever did. You need to book but once you're in the habit you book your next session on the way out. The orange clubs have started to reappear back at mine which is nice. Each donation burns something like 500 calories which is great and the best thing is a week later you get a text saying where your blood has been sent, even better when it says it's gone to Christies just after your dad has finished chemo there. If you're fit and healthy you should do it.

I'd love to, but I don't think I can. I had a platelet transfusion when I was 4. Due to that I am petrified of needles too.

I do. Racking up a decent total now.

I was due to donate today, but got sent on a training course by work at the last minute. I'm now trying to rebook an appointment, but everything is booked up solid until March.

They're not making it easy.

OP. Book an appointment and do it. And then keep doing it. Always need more donors.

Regularly. The booking system has changed again round our way, you can't now book for your next session while there, which is a PITA. Have to do it online which means it's more likely to be forgotten.

I got to the maximum they allowed so don’t go anymore

Eh? What rubbish is this? I was at a training course recently at a hotel, the blood donation people were having a lunch for their biggest donors. You had to do 100 to get an invite. Some of them were as old as the hills, and not set to stop yet.

I'm booked in January to give pint number 30. Like a lot of the above I started at a mobile blood bus outside work, but now have to go to the local church hall. Easy enough to book a slot, just download the App then choose your venue. Keep checking as appointments get cancelled all the time.

It’s the most shambolic set up imaginable.

I give blood 3 or so times a year and I've yet to encounter anything shambolic.
You turn up on time and book in, they give you the questionnaire to read while you wait to be called for the Hb test.
You get called for the Hb test, sign the form saying you've not done anything they take exception to, get your finger pricked and if all's OK you wait until a donation chair's free.
You get taken to a chair, give some blood. When you're done you go and have a cup of tea and a biscuit.

I do it regularly, Sunday just gone in fact
You can’t just turn up anymore and the App is pretty useless. I work shift and booking an appointment that far in advance is very difficult
Not their fault, cutbacks I guess

I donate regularly, mainly because I’m O Rh-. Last time I went it was the full-on shambles described above, standing room only on the first queue, all chairs taken. At the tea table at the end someone asked why it was so bad and was told it’s because they overbook because they always get lots of no-shows, but everyone had turned up.

App then choose your venue. Keep checking as appointments get cancelled all the time.

Good call- got an appointment for 19th Dec by re-checking availability.

I donate regularly, normally twice a year. Around 20 donations so far. All this beef about the system is not really warranted, it always takes me about 1 hour door to door for a donation. Yes there is a bit of sitting and waiting and repeating your address etc but its a painless process. The staff are always excellent. My only problem is I do seem to notice a considerable drop off in fitness when pushing it for quite a few weeks after a donation.

Always was a shambles round these parts, then they gave up even visiting despite the demand, expecting me to drive
15 miles each way on top of the hours spent sitting around for a delayed booking.

No thanks.

Donate as often as I can, once every 3 months. Possibly the easiest thing to do to help others. Comments above about waiting around and "the most shambolic set up imaginable" are complete and utter bullshit. Never been there more than 30 minutes or so and I have been to many different venues. The staff are always courteous and cheerful and the system works pretty well. Turn up, give blood, go home, check for the next available date and book. Simple.

Depends where you are, the system is different in different places. Best to check with your local cebtre

I've always found them well organised and fairly efficient, but then it's always been centres in cities I've gone to (Glasgow and Manchester). The Glasgow one was better as it had Teacakes for after! The website can be a bit temperamental, but there are usually a couple of appointments available after work if I check a few days beforehand - presumably from people cancelling - so I just wait until I have a bit of flexibility in my schedule and then book in.
If anyone does donate in Manchester (Norfolk House), they've got a bunch of new staff in and quite a few trainees. One missed the vein last time and I had to get re-stuck on the other arm (which was fun), but it's the 1st time it's happened to me in about 25 visits so still a fairly good record! Trainees have to learn on someone of course, but I might be saying I had my turn last time if I get one next time I go 🙂 .

Comments above about waiting around and “the most shambolic set up imaginable” are complete and utter bullshit.

Or just possibly genuine comment from people who don't live in the same area as you? I agree that the staff are great but it's rare for them to have a full complement; I can't remember when I was out in less than an hour.

I'm up to about 46 donations now.

it's chaotic. they turn up in the village three times a year, generally at holiday periods or friday nights

you have to book, but even then you wait an hour (gone are the days I would be in and out in 20 minutes - I'm officially a 'fast bleeder'. About the only time I am)

However, it's still a good thing to do and the more the merrier

Since they changed from appointment to arrival time its normally an hour .
We've got quite a few regular donors who've given over a 100 times .

I keep trying to, but they only do appointments 7 miles away and it's too much of a day to loose, cycling there, waiting, giving blood, waiting, then cycling back. Seems a bit daft as they used to take blood on the science park, where I work, but seem to have stopped a few years back.

For most of the last 15 years I've not been able to give due to travelling with work and never having not travelled for the requisite 6 or 3 months they require.

Been a regular for years, but its getting harder to actually be able to donate........I am O- so a blood group they supposedly want, but they have stopped collecting in telford (where I work) and cant get an appt for 6 months! in Stafford (where I live)......so while I would like to carry on donating I cant!

49 donations so far. It's a slightly disorganised process, and booking (at least round our way) is needed. Mate goes to a permanent city centre clinic where he can book at short notice.

Do it; altruism at its best (and a free retro biscuit)

Yep, used to regularly but have dropped off a lot - first I travelled to some dodgy countries so had to wait for the clearing period then their appointment system got worse and worse. Almost impossible to get a slot at a convenient place or time, and when I did arrive on time I'd be waiting for ages because they were chronically overrunning.

They could really do with more of the permanent centres over the twice-a-year-in-the-church-hall ones.

I do, the booking system is fine here, there's always a bit of a wait but I just turn up a touch earlier. Also, my work like that I do it so are happy for me to donate on work time.

My iron is normally a little low, a symptom of lots of endurance based exercise in my case apparently. Last time I got told off for donating 3 days after a half marathon, though they still took the blood.

Like others, I did it regularly when i could just drop in, but now you have to book bloody months in advance and that doesn't suit me]

edit - I just checked online. There's a session in the church near work the first week in january, but it's fully booked. Next session there is March. There's a session near my house in february with availability, but that's a Sunday - can't guarantee what I'll be doing next weekend much less two months from now

The booking system seems a bit broken, it offers me a choice of locations and then when I click on any of them other than the main Hospital, it says no appointments available. I've basically given up as the main Hospital is completely the wrong side of town for me...

Next session there is March. There’s a session near my house in february with availability, but that’s a Sunday – can’t guarantee what I’ll be doing next weekend much less two months from now

Just book it and if you're still unsure a week or 2 ahead cancel, they'll still fill the slot.

I'm wondering what the "shambolic" people are experiencing. I'm in and out in less than an hour. If it's actually disorganised rather than you just having to wait a bit it's a matter for concern. It's a well-tried system and will based on common procedures. Having said that, it's scheduled quite tightly and I can see a couple of fainters on the chairs having a big knock on effect on throughput especially if it happens early in the session.

Just the massive wait a full hour or more past the booked time. That's all really. The need to drive 15 miles each way on top of that is the icing on the cake.

Everyone should, if they can. 🙂

Booking system is pretty easy to use. They will bug you forever once they have your details, though!

They are after me again, even though they know full well I'm not allowed for another couple of months. (Tattoo means no blood for 4 months)

Rachel