Giving blood

[Pretty Boy]

Was in the blood donation centre on Thursday giving my 3 monthly donation and got speaking to one of the nurses working there. She was telling me that they are really struggling at the moment for donations.

Was just innterested as to why people don't give blood? Obviously it's a personal choice but i really don't get why people wouldn't. It's wonderfully useful, it's easy and practically painless, it's not something you have to do particularly often and best of all you are actively encouraged to eat as many biscuits as you can stuff down your throat after you have finished.

I think a lot of people have been put off by stories of huge needles or people fainting and so on. If you faint, which is rare, a hospital is probably the best place to do it and you aren't going to die as a result of fainting after giving blood. The needles are small and the pain is minimal, i give platelet donations every month and that involves 2 far bigger needles and even those aren't painful.

It's easy to do, easy to register and it's not a huge commitment. Do it.

[Jack]

I agree and I used to.

I got a fairly substantial transfusion a few years ago so am no longer allowed to donate. Without it I could well have been deid or at least suffered serious organ damage. :agree: Stop cussing your luck up the back there :grr:

Still in credit with the blood bank though. :greengrin

For me there was a lot of satisfaction in knowing that someone out there, like me although you never think it will be me, had been helped. All it takes is half an hour or so.

[MSK]

Its one of those things i have always planned to do but never done it ..really need to get off my selfish erse & get registered ...:agree:

[Jay]

I donated from age 18 until I started having babies then had a good dose of Cancer and they dont want it now. Its a shame as those of us who have needed their help are the ones who desperately want to give back but understandably they dont want it. However your post has prompted me to check if/when I would ever be able to donate again.

[lyonhibs]

sadly its the needles for me. Doesnt matter if they r tiny or gargantum, iv got a proper phobia.

[MSK]

sadly its the needles for me. Doesnt matter if they r tiny or gargantum, iv got a proper phobia.Ive got to give bloods for storage every time im scratched at work from a patient..(which is quite often) ...i also get Hep B boosters every so often so needles are a part of my life now ...if i get scared o them im oot a job ...:greengrin

[GlesgaeHibby]

sadly its the needles for me. Doesnt matter if they r tiny or gargantum, iv got a proper phobia.

Ya big Jessie!

I've always been slightly worried about giving blood, but I'm going along for the first time on wednesday-getting dragged along by my mum. I've realised it's pretty selfish not giving blood if you can, and I should just strap on a pair and get my arse along.

[Westie1875]

I've tried to on numerous occassions but unfortunately my haemoglobin count has always been too low for them to allow me. Quite a common issue which prevents a lot of women in particular from donating - very frustrating.

[MSK]

I've tried to on numerous occassions but unfortunately my haemoglobin count has always been too low for them to allow me. Quite a common issue which prevents a lot of women in particular from donating - very frustrating.My Wife has probs giving blood ..they cant seem to get blood from her arm veins..normally have to go between her fingers or toes ...thats not to donate ..thats just for normal bloods !!! ..sod that ..:bitchy:

[Pretty Boy]

I've tried to on numerous occassions but unfortunately my haemoglobin count has always been too low for them to allow me. Quite a common issue which prevents a lot of women in particular from donating - very frustrating.

My mum and sister are the same. They both suffer iron deficiency anemia so can't donate.

It's a pity but safety comes first.

[CropleyWasGod]

My story.

I went to give blood a few years ago. Filled in the questionnaire. Got to the bit where it asks "have you, or anyone you have had sex with, had sex with someone who is HIV Positive, in the last x years?". Yes/No/Don't know. I filled in "don't know", on the basis of honesty... "how can anyone be 100% sure?" was my justification.

I was rejected. I put a few rational questions to them, like "can't you take my blood and test it before putting it in the bank?" "no". "Would you prefer that I lied on the form, and you would then have taken my blood, at the risk of it being positive?" "we would always test it first..."

So... being a bit bolshie about bureaucracy, even more so when it concerns HIV and the like, I didn't let it rest. I put my concerns to "the management". One of the main guys eventually called me, full of apologies, telling me that the staff had been "over-zealous" and that "lessons had been learned".. etc etc.

He told me that if I re-attended, my blood would be taken. So I did.

And then I was told that, because I had been in West Africa recently, they wouldn't take my blood. "see you in two years...."

Since then I have been in Cuba and India.... :rolleyes:

It may be a while before my blood is good enough.

[EH6 Hibby]

i give platelet donations every month and that involves 2 far bigger needles and even those aren't painful.

I give blood regularly and keep meaning to find out more about Platelet donating, what exactly does it involve and how long does it take etc?

[Lucius Apuleius]

I would love to give blood in the UK, however nopbody wants mine.

The West African issue.
I am told they don't like tatoos.
The cancer issue.

Strange because the Nigerians are happy to take it.

[RyeSloan]

I would say that the long and short answer regarding low donation rates is convenience.

I know it sounds terrible but you simply can't rely on the public to go out of their way to do anything. If the blood tranfusion service or whatever they are called are serious about the need to substantially increase donors then they seriously need to re-think their approach.

Substantially increasing thier mobile presence, rolling out donation stations to major doctors surgeries, putting permanent facilities in easily accessable areas rather than historic legacy NHS buildings etc.

Simply complaing that the public are 'not doing their bit' is a poor excuse if you ask me...also the cynic in me says that they will NEVER admit to having a good enough supply or enough donors due to the fact that they are scared this will cause others not to attend. I am also not aware of any occasions recently that there has been such a limited supply that there has been a crisis requiring blanket media coverage to solve.

Don't get me wrong, I have given blood before and clearly I am aware of the criticallity of the service to everyones health, I just get a bit tired of the constant "really struggling for donations" line that seems to be the default setting.

[KdyHby]

Have given 108 times, it's the only time I'm treated to chocolate mallow :hyper::yum yum::drool:

[Jay]

I donated from age 18 until I started having babies then had a good dose of Cancer and they dont want it now. Its a shame as those of us who have needed their help are the ones who desperately want to give back but understandably they dont want it. However your post has prompted me to check if/when I would ever be able to donate again.

Well it looks like I can never donate in the UK again, certainly from online searches. A lot of countries seem to accept you after 5 years clear but the UK have me as a leper for the rest of my life. On one Australian site it claimed to have the safest blood worldwide but allowed me to donate after 5 years under certain restrictions like how widespread the cancer was etc. Seems the UK may have to re check their restrictions certainly with cancer survival rates increasing etc.

[Godsahibby]

It's something I always wanted to do but never made the time to actually go and give blood, I was fortunate when I moved to a new job a few years ago for RBS at Gogarburn, every 3 months they set up a centre on the campus and I now go every time they are here.

[CropleyWasGod]

I would love to give blood in the UK, however nopbody wants mine.

The West African issue.
I am told they don't like tatoos.
The cancer issue.

Strange because the Nigerians are happy to take it.

Maybe I don't really understand the process, but taking the West African issue... presumably it's about malaria and other such Blood Borne Viruses. Can they not take your blood, store it and allow the incubation period to pass, then retest it?

[vanNISHtelroy]

I would give blood, but not allowed to because of the medication I'm on for my epilepsy.

[Sick Boy]

I tried 3 times to donate but on each occasion felt really faint just before the donation was complete so they had to stop and tip the chair up. I spoke to a few of the nurses to find out why and they said it was probably because I'm quite tall and fit and my resting heart rate is pretty low so my body struggled to cope with losing even a small amount of blood. Don't know how true this but it seemed plausible.
It was really frustrating and I would definitely have gone back again to try but after contracting Hodgkin's Disease last year and the associated treatment that went with it, I'm not able to any more. There was no mention of a time scale though so I'll need to find out if I'm able to try again in a few years.

[Jonnyboy]

I gave blood for many years but had to stop when medications I take meant they no longer wanted my red stuff

[Removed]

It's something I always wanted to do but never made the time to actually go and give blood, I was fortunate when I moved to a new job a few years ago for RBS at Gogarburn, every 3 months they set up a centre on the campus and I now go every time they are here.

Same with me at Fettes Row and the Gyle. It's a hassle parking in Lauriston Place so the mobile unit at work is great. I haven't given for a while as I was in India twice and am on a cocktail of drugs at the moment but I have got a few badges so feel I have at least made a contribution.


Maybe I don't really understand the process, but taking the West African issue... presumably it's about malaria and other such Blood Borne Viruses. Can they not take your blood, store it and allow the incubation period to pass, then retest it?

I think the blood, plasma and that have a limited shelf life. A few nurses on here so someone might know. Suzy where are you?

[MSK]

I think the blood, plasma and that have a limited shelf life. A few nurses on here so someone might know. Suzy where are you?Red blood cells can be stored up to forty two days but are normally used well before then....Platelets can be stored for up to five days & frozen plasma can be stored up to a year..

[Lucius Apuleius]

Maybe I don't really understand the process, but taking the West African issue... presumably it's about malaria and other such Blood Borne Viruses. Can they not take your blood, store it and allow the incubation period to pass, then retest it?

Dunno mate. As said above though if you have been in West Africa within a certain period of time then they don't want it. Nobody has ever explained fully why. Possibly malarial, more likely lumping us altogether as a bunch of sex maniacs who have been humping every poor female (or male I guess) who is HIV positive.

[Leicester Fan]

I've been donating for years. The only thing that p1sses me off is the waiting. Even if you make an appointment you can still wait for an hour before you get seen to.

[MSK]

I've been donating for years. The only thing that p1sses me off is the waiting. Even if you make an appointment you can still wait for an hour before you get seen to.Surely worth it in the end though ...:agree:

[derekHFC]

Tuesday 17th August at Leith Town Hall is the next time they seem to be in the EH6 area.

Go along and try it out :greengrin

[HibsMax]

I don't give blood because they don't want it. I was living in the UK during the mad cow disease outbreak and for that reason, I am not welcome. I've lived here since '98 but that doesn't seem to matter. At least not according to the questionnaire I have to answer before trying to give blood.

[EskbankHibby]

My story.

I went to give blood a few years ago. Filled in the questionnaire. Got to the bit where it asks "have you, or anyone you have had sex with, had sex with someone who is HIV Positive, in the last x years?". Yes/No/Don't know. I filled in "don't know", on the basis of honesty... "how can anyone be 100% sure?" was my justification.

I was rejected. I put a few rational questions to them, like "can't you take my blood and test it before putting it in the bank?" "no". "Would you prefer that I lied on the form, and you would then have taken my blood, at the risk of it being positive?" "we would always test it first..."

So... being a bit bolshie about bureaucracy, even more so when it concerns HIV and the like, I didn't let it rest. I put my concerns to "the management". One of the main guys eventually called me, full of apologies, telling me that the staff had been "over-zealous" and that "lessons had been learned".. etc etc.

He told me that if I re-attended, my blood would be taken. So I did.

And then I was told that, because I had been in West Africa recently, they wouldn't take my blood. "see you in two years...."

Since then I have been in Cuba and India.... :rolleyes:

It may be a while before my blood is good enough.

:agree:

It was the beurocracy thing that stopped me going, planned my day around going a couple of times to be told that my juice wasn't required for what i saw as overly officious reasons.

Had a fair few patients who we have treated with acupuncture come back and tell us that they have been knocked back from giving blood because of it, we now routinely supply such patients with a form which states we comply with the relevant standards, same as tattooists i guess.

Having read this thread though i think i will investigate giving blood again.

[Houchy]

I donated from age 18 until I started having babies then had a good dose of Cancer and they dont want it now. Its a shame as those of us who have needed their help are the ones who desperately want to give back but understandably they dont want it. However your post has prompted me to check if/when I would ever be able to donate again.

So true:agree:

I went when they had the mobile unit at work and when they went through their tick sheet and ticked off what cancers i'd had in the past, they practically laughed at me. I actually felt bad as I think they thought I was taking the p*** and making it up just trying to get out of it despite me really wanting to help.:boo hoo:

[greenlex]

I reckon if they gave you pint of lager after giving blood lots more would donate.

[MSK]

I reckon if they gave you pint of lager after giving blood lots more would donate.You used to get a pint of Guinness..or a half pint (cant remember) because it had plenty iron in it ....:agree:

[Jack]

I reckon if they gave you pint of lager after giving blood lots more would donate.

I remember, vaguely cause it was a very long time ago, one of the first times I gave blood up a Lauriston. I had arranged to meet my pals nearby.

Got out and lit up a cigarette – floated to the pub – what a buzzzzz! :thumbsup:

However after a couple of pints I was steamin’ :faf:

[Jack]

Too much faffing about here :wink:

I asked the Scottish Blood about why folk couldn't donate yesterday, I used GordonTurnbull as an example :greengrin - could they direct me to easy to understand guidance? They sent me this reply.

Hi Jack, Doctor has asked me to contact you.
Thank you for your enquiry, We have very extensive guidelines for medical donor selection.

I have attached a document that you may find useful and answer some of your concerns.

Hope this will be of help
Kind Regards
Kate
Donor Communications Support Officer
Please Give Blood - http://www.scotblood.co.uk (http://www.scotblood.co.uk)




Thank you for your enquiry.

We have in place very extensive Guidelines for medical selection of donors which ensure that no donor comes to any harm as a result of donating and equally that the recipient of a donation suffers no adverse effects.

We are therefore obliged to ask a number of questions each and every time donors come to donate in order that we can establish information about their medical history which may make it unsafe for a prospective donor to donate blood e.g. a history of heart disease, chronic chest disease, a previous stroke or any long term serious illness.

We also have to ask questions which relate to travel history, lifestyle, vaccination and contact with infectious diseases in order that we can identify donors who may be at risk of transmitting an infection to the recipient of that donation.

All of our staff are trained to a very high standard and should obviously be able to explain the Guidelines to any individual who attends a blood donating session and your friend should certainly have received accurate and up to date information as to why he was ineligible to donate blood.

I would suggest that if he works in Nigeria our concerns would relate to the possible transmission of Malaria which is endemic in parts of South Africa. As Malaria can be transmitted in blood transfusions we ask donors who have travelled to areas in which Malaria is endemic not to donate for specific periods of time.

The Guidelines are very extensive and it is difficult to provide extensive information. If you do browse our website and click onto publications there are many leaflets which do contain information about eligibility to donate. These can be downloaded.

I hope that this information is useful to you but if you would like any further specific queries then please do not hesitate to contact us.


That was from Kate :agree: I said thank you. :greengrin

[Big Frank]

I donated from age 18 until I started having babies then had a good dose of Cancer and they dont want it now. Its a shame as those of us who have needed their help are the ones who desperately want to give back but understandably they dont want it. However your post has prompted me to check if/when I would ever be able to donate again.

You've done your bit Mrs. S. Time to look after yourself:agree:

You can still help. Encourage others!

[Big Frank]

My mum and sister are the same. They both suffer iron deficiency anemia so can't donate.

It's a pity but safety comes first.


You can lose up to a gram of Iron when you donate. If your levels are low or borderline, giving a pint can make you anaemic, which can bring on further complications. The Blood Transfusion Service would'nt be much of a service if it made those in to help the ill, well, ill:greengrin

Donor safety is paramount.:agree:

[Big Frank]

My story.

I went to give blood a few years ago. Filled in the questionnaire. Got to the bit where it asks "have you, or anyone you have had sex with, had sex with someone who is HIV Positive, in the last x years?". Yes/No/Don't know. I filled in "don't know", on the basis of honesty... "how can anyone be 100% sure?" was my justification.

I was rejected. I put a few rational questions to them, like "can't you take my blood and test it before putting it in the bank?" "no". "Would you prefer that I lied on the form, and you would then have taken my blood, at the risk of it being positive?" "we would always test it first..."

So... being a bit bolshie about bureaucracy, even more so when it concerns HIV and the like, I didn't let it rest. I put my concerns to "the management". One of the main guys eventually called me, full of apologies, telling me that the staff had been "over-zealous" and that "lessons had been learned".. etc etc.

He told me that if I re-attended, my blood would be taken. So I did.

And then I was told that, because I had been in West Africa recently, they wouldn't take my blood. "see you in two years...."

Since then I have been in Cuba and India.... :rolleyes:

It may be a while before my blood is good enough.

Well done for you honest in the lifestyle questions. This volunteer service relies wholeheartedly on the honesty of the Donor.

Regarding your Cuba and India. Many places have Malaria prevelant, and there are different types of malaria. Unfortunately, malaria can lie dormant in a persons body then suddenly flair up.

In the last couple of the years, the Blood Transfusion Service's scientist came up with a sound test for malaria, so sometimes (depending on circumstances) a person may not have to wait a full year from their return date from a malarial country before they can donate.

[Big Frank]

I give blood regularly and keep meaning to find out more about Platelet donating, what exactly does it involve and how long does it take etc?


In laymans terms, you are basically born with your platelet count. Depending on your count, and blood type, your are asked to give up a bit more of your time, and you are donating around an hour. You get hooked up to a special machine which uses centrifugal forces to spin your blood, separating it into various components. The platelets get collected, and the rest of your blood (red cells etc) gets returned to your body.

Your platelets are basically the clotters, and they are vital helping e.g cancer patients and those who are unable to stop bleeding. The need for platelets in the UK is going to rocket:agree:

Very simply, when you next donate ask! They take a tiny sample and put in through a machine. Takes no time:thumbsup:

[Big Frank]

I would love to give blood in the UK, however nopbody wants mine.

The West African issue.
I am told they don't like tatoos.
The cancer issue.

Strange because the Nigerians are happy to take it.

Africa, as you can imagine, have been making great strides in their Blood Collections. They do not have the knowledge and experience that we are lucky to have. They may not have the same ethics in 1) affecting the donor, and 2) effecting the patient.

Tatoos are not liked because they are unregulated in the UK. Anyone can set up a tattoo shop in the UK. There are no minimun standards of Hygiene. There is a high risk of infection/hepatitus. Because in the vast majority of cases the recipient of a transfusion is really ill, our Blood Transfusion Service MUST err on the side of caution. They have NO control on who the hospitals administer the transfusion, and that person might not have an immune system for example.

[Big Frank]

I would say that the long and short answer regarding low donation rates is convenience.

I know it sounds terrible but you simply can't rely on the public to go out of their way to do anything. If the blood tranfusion service or whatever they are called are serious about the need to substantially increase donors then they seriously need to re-think their approach.

Substantially increasing thier mobile presence, rolling out donation stations to major doctors surgeries, putting permanent facilities in easily accessable areas rather than historic legacy NHS buildings etc.

Simply complaing that the public are 'not doing their bit' is a poor excuse if you ask me...also the cynic in me says that they will NEVER admit to having a good enough supply or enough donors due to the fact that they are scared this will cause others not to attend. I am also not aware of any occasions recently that there has been such a limited supply that there has been a crisis requiring blanket media coverage to solve.

Don't get me wrong, I have given blood before and clearly I am aware of the criticallity of the service to everyones health, I just get a bit tired of the constant "really struggling for donations" line that seems to be the default setting.


In scotland, the Transfusion Service needs to collect 1000 pints of blood each week.

If there is no blood, there is NO operations.

Each newborn baby born in the UK has a bit of their blood type on standby at birth.

Blood shelf live is very short. O negative blood is required constantly. Its the emergency blood. If a person is rushed to hospital critically injured in need of blood, often there is not enough time to type their blood, so they get O negative initially, until they are out of danger.

A couple of liver transplants can clean a hospital out.

Try not to get tired of the constant struggle for donations. It is so precarious, that during the summer stocks drop dramatically. People go on holiday.

Well done for giving SiMar:agree:

[Big Frank]

I've been donating for years. The only thing that p1sses me off is the waiting. Even if you make an appointment you can still wait for an hour before you get seen to.


England have a different system than we do in Scotland. Blood Transfusion started in Edinburgh 60years ago - by a dentist believe it or not - and unfortunately, the English have been playing catch up every since:greengrin

[Big Frank]

I don't give blood because they don't want it. I was living in the UK during the mad cow disease outbreak and for that reason, I am not welcome. I've lived here since '98 but that doesn't seem to matter. At least not according to the questionnaire I have to answer before trying to give blood.


Yes. you'll find that the UK took a very hard hit regarding new variant cjd.

You would have thought that the USA, germany and all the other countries didn't have the same problems the british did:wink:

[Big Frank]

:agree:

It was the beurocracy thing that stopped me going, planned my day around going a couple of times to be told that my juice wasn't required for what i saw as overly officious reasons.

Had a fair few patients who we have treated with acupuncture come back and tell us that they have been knocked back from giving blood because of it, we now routinely supply such patients with a form which states we comply with the relevant standards, same as tattooists i guess.

Having read this thread though i think i will investigate giving blood again.


Acupuncture has really grown in the UK. As with tattoos there is a high risk of infection (or any time the skin is broken). To ensure as safe a blood supply as possible acup.and tatoos carried a 1year deferal. If memory serves, as long as the cert show they are part of the Acpuncturis council standards or nhs, the hygiene standards are ensured, so that person can donate.

it can be seem beaurocratic at times. Blood Transfusion service is obliged to ensure that a) donor safety and b) patient safety. You have to err on the side of caution. If not people can die.

Its great you are thinking of giving blood again:agree:

[Big Frank]

So true:agree:

I went when they had the mobile unit at work and when they went through their tick sheet and ticked off what cancers i'd had in the past, they practically laughed at me. I actually felt bad as I think they thought I was taking the p*** and making it up just trying to get out of it despite me really wanting to help.:boo hoo:


Thats not on Houchy. You should have put in a complaint:agree:

You can still help. Encourage others to go along:agree:

[Big Frank]

Yes, I know, there is the technology out there called multi quote:greengrin

[Jay]

In scotland, the Transfusion Service needs to collect 1000 pints of blood each week.

If there is no blood, there is NO operations.

Each newborn baby born in the UK has a bit of their blood type on standby at birth.

Blood shelf live is very short. O negative blood is required constantly. Its the emergency blood. If a person is rushed to hospital critically injured in need of blood, often there is not enough time to type their blood, so they get O negative initially, until they are out of danger.

A couple of liver transplants can clean a hospital out.

Try not to get tired of the constant struggle for donations. It is so precarious, that during the summer stocks drop dramatically. People go on holiday.

Well done for giving SiMar:agree:

How do they know what the babys blood type will be? I was very doped up after giving birth, not cause I needed it I just liked it :greengrin but I know they checked the boys blood because I am Rh-, I was not told any of their blood types but presumed they were all positive as I got the jag but I think I overheard someone saying that one of the boys was B or something and I had not heard of this before, just A and O. Anyway just back to the original question, how can they have blood on standby? Not doubting you just interested.

[GlesgaeHibby]

Strapped on a pair and went to give blood for the first time today.

The nurse arsed it up and bruised my arm so had to stop straight away. All they got was a sample. Don't know how she managed this as I've got big veins, but hey ho. It was fairly painless and I'll be going back to try again, and I'm sure it's even less sore without getting a bruised arm.

[danhibees1875]

I went to give blood a couple of months ago and was told that I couldn't as I had a peanut allergy.

Surely there must be some way that my blood could still be useful... :confused:

[Big Frank]

I went to give blood a couple of months ago and was told that I couldn't as I had a peanut allergy.

Surely there must be some way that my blood could still be useful... :confused:


The recipient may have a severe reaction to your donation.

It defeats the purpose of donating if there is a chance it could harm the patient.