Blood Donations

[MrTopTier]

NHS reporting an amber alert in relation to how low blood stock supplies.

So get the message out there, to get donating blood if you can.

[beddie]

I’ve never done it but would gladly consider it. Is there an age limit.

[bfcjg]

I'll be onto my 50th donation in November, it's quick,easy and painless and you never know when you or your family or friends could need it.

[Corky]

Very commendable but I believe it is not a shortage of donors that’s the problem. It is a shortage of NHS staff.

[dsr]

They've been doing their best to discourage people from giving blood for long enough. They have reduced the staff, they have stopped allowing people to just turn up (now appointment only), they have made appointments difficult to come by unless you book while on the premises from giving your last donation, they have stopped sending postal reminders or requests to give. They say they want more donors, but their actions suggest that saving money is their priority and collecting blood is only secondary.

[bfcjg]

They've been doing their best to discourage people from giving blood for long enough. They have reduced the staff, they have stopped allowing people to just turn up (now appointment only), they have made appointments difficult to come by unless you book while on the premises from giving your last donation, they have stopped sending postal reminders or requests to give. They say they want more donors, but their actions suggest that saving money is their priority and collecting blood is only secondary.

There was a slight hiccup whilst new system came in and there is a staff shortage,however my regular experience is nothing like you describe and is straight forward, I get a phone call reminding me, I get informed where my blood has gone etc. Even if it was a total pain in the backside giving blood it wouldn't put me off one bit when I remember how much my daughter needed.

[Corky]

Given how the Tories want to destroy the NHS so they can fully privatise it, I am surprised that they haven't outsourced the giving of blood and offered to pay you for your donation. It's the Tory way.

[bfcjg]

FFS does politics have to come into every thread, does everything have to be engineered to slag political party A or political party B off.

[wilks_bfc]

They've been doing their best to discourage people from giving blood for long enough. They have reduced the staff, they have stopped allowing people to just turn up (now appointment only), they have made appointments difficult to come by unless you book while on the premises from giving your last donation, they have stopped sending postal reminders or requests to give. They say they want more donors, but their actions suggest that saving money is their priority and collecting blood is only secondary.

Don’t agree that the booking of appointments is a bad thing.
There were times pre appointments that I turned up and the queue was too long and unable to wait.

Now I know that when I go I’ll be done within the hour (at most)
I do agree that there could be more choice of appointments.
My next session was booked for December, but that has been cancelled and I’m now going in January

[Hipper]

I’ve never done it but would gladly consider it. Is there an age limit.

Sixty-five.

https://www.blood.co.uk/who-can-give-blood/

I did for a few years but had to stop after they got more fussy. I'd had an operation some years before and there was a question about blood transfusions (you can't give blood if you have received blood, platelets, plasma or any other blood products after 1 January 1980. I had) so they would no longer accept my blood.

[Ashingtonclaret46]

I’ve never done it but would gladly consider it. Is there an age limit.

I think that you have to be between 17 and 65 if you want to start donating. However, my wife and I have been donating for years and she still does and is now 75 years old, in fact, because of her blood group and something in her blood which makes it okay for premature babies, they often chase her up as soon as she is due to donate.
I donated until I was 72 years old but then had a bad accident and was given blood to keep me alive which meant that I could no longer donate.

We both started in 1967 whilst in the RAF

[aggi]

They've been doing their best to discourage people from giving blood for long enough. They have reduced the staff, they have stopped allowing people to just turn up (now appointment only), they have made appointments difficult to come by unless you book while on the premises from giving your last donation, they have stopped sending postal reminders or requests to give. They say they want more donors, but their actions suggest that saving money is their priority and collecting blood is only secondary.

You can book online (or through the app). I get text messages and phone calls chasing me to donate if I haven't for a while.

I prefer the so appointments, can be out within just over half an hour, but you do need to book a fair bit in advance.

[AlargeClaret]

If you’re fit and able to donate then you should , it’s simple and as rewarding as anything could be . I’m unable to donate anymore but seems to be very little publicly /awareness atm .I’ve no idea if and how staff shortages have impacted donations , but the sheer almost incomprehensible river of money that Trusts waste from ludicrous procurement to the sheer insanity and cost of “ patient satisfaction “ is little short of a national disgrace .

[pompeyclaret]

have given blood since I was 18, when my girlfriends at the time mum used to go get organs from (mostly) motorbike accidents. 53 donations now, hoping to get to 80 before I'm 50.

Did used to prefer the vans coming to work, but get they're more expensive. Appointments easy to book online, get reminders, and follow ups on where my bloods gone. Takes 30 minutes normally now with better booking, free biscuits, and potentially saving someone's life.

Am O- too, so they always after my blood.

[Lancasterclaret]

Did blood donating from age 21, then switched to platelet donations

Haven't done it for a while because I passed the critical stage of having too many failures to give platelets

But everyone should do it, I think I topped up on about 240 donations/platelets before I stopped

[dsr]

Did blood donating from age 21, then switched to platelet donations

Haven't done it for a while because I passed the critical stage of having too many failures to give platelets

But everyone should do it, I think I topped up on about 240 donations/platelets before I stopped

Have they made platelet donation any more convenient? Last I looked, the nearest place was Bradford and you had to get there in or very shortly after working hours, which made it impractical. But that was a few years ago.

Sounds like I may be off the list now because I had an operation once, anyway.

[distortiondave]

Free biscuits!?!?

[Lancasterclaret]

Have they made platelet donation any more convenient? Last I looked, the nearest place was Bradford and you had to get there in or very shortly after working hours, which made it impractical. But that was a few years ago.

Sounds like I may be off the list now because I had an operation once, anyway.

Dunno about East Lancs, but I went every month to the RLI in Lancaster

Took about 1 1/2 hours and its no bother

I was slightly annoyed that my last three all failed, because there are some nurses who are really good at sticking needles into you, some that are okay, and some that are terrible, and I kept getting the terrible one!

My favourite failure was when the machine failed, and we only noticed when they wondered why the platelet bag wasn't filling up and checked the bottom of the machine to find it full of my blood.

I got a lot of phone calls from increasingly higher up the management chain about that one

(But for balance, complete one offs and I successfully gave blood/platelets with no hassle the vast majority of the time)

[evensteadiereddie]

It would be interesting to know just how this shortage has come about.

[Lancasterclaret]

It would be interesting to know just how this shortage has come about.

People like me stopping (through no fault of their own ie getting too old) and not enough people coming through

[tiger76]

I used to donate regularly then I got out of the habit of attending, I will try and book an appointment next week when I've got a couple of days off work.

[Roosterbooster]

They've been doing their best to discourage people from giving blood for long enough. They have reduced the staff, they have stopped allowing people to just turn up (now appointment only), they have made appointments difficult to come by unless you book while on the premises from giving your last donation, they have stopped sending postal reminders or requests to give. They say they want more donors, but their actions suggest that saving money is their priority and collecting blood is only secondary.

Like other people have said, I disagree with this

You can book at the centre, on the app, or by phone. I never struggle to get an appointment. And if I havent booked one, I get a phone call to arrange it.

I cannot stress enough just how important blood donation is. It has saved the lives of friends, family, and patients. Takes up about 4 hours of my life every year. Well worth it

[wilks_bfc]

Free biscuits!?!?

Or a bag of Chedders if you’re really lucky

[2 Bee Holed]

FFS does politics have to come into every thread, does everything have to be engineered to slag political party A or political party B off.

Nope, it's the energy companies that are good at sucking the blood out of me.
Perhaps they could help?

[Chadderton_Dan]

NHS reporting an amber alert in relation to how low blood stock supplies.

So get the message out there, to get donating blood if you can.

MrTopTier, I've just created an account to thank you for publicising this. I had always thought I was ineligible to give blood due to an illness however having checked again this morning I am eligible and I have just signed up to my first donation!

[MancunianClaret]

People like me stopping (through no fault of their own ie getting too old) and not enough people coming through

It's not. As has already been said above, there are no shortages of donations - it's staffing the donation centres that is the issue.

[bobinho]

Very commendable but I believe it is not a shortage of donors that’s the problem. It is a shortage of NHS staff.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to suggest it is a shortage of medically qualified staff?

[ClaretAndJew]

Why are they asking for donations if it's a staffing issue?

Are they using the blood to create worker drones?

[aclaretinstevenage]

They've been doing their best to discourage people from giving blood for long enough. They have reduced the staff, they have stopped allowing people to just turn up (now appointment only), they have made appointments difficult to come by unless you book while on the premises from giving your last donation, they have stopped sending postal reminders or requests to give. They say they want more donors, but their actions suggest that saving money is their priority and collecting blood is only secondary.

I have to say this is exactly my experience. I stopped after 38 donations for these reasons BUT! I might start again given the shortage.

[Corky]

Perhaps it would be more accurate to suggest it is a shortage of medically qualified staff?

What!!!! You mean, the Porters and the Security Staff and the Cleaners aren't allowed to take blood? What is the NHS coming to. Although I do believe pedants can do it.

[bobinho]

What!!!! You mean, the Porters and the Security Staff and the Cleaners aren't allowed to take blood? What is the NHS coming to. Although I do believe pedants can do it.

It was more to do with pointing out that the whole thing is a behemoth, with far more administrative staff dipping into the gravy, than patient facers.
I suspect you realised that, but you were hell bent on having a little ‘moment’.
Or maybe you didn’t realise it at all, and are now only just “getting it”. Or maybe you aren’t even getting it now I have explained it? Who knows? Either way, I have engaged when I probably shouldn’t have. My bad.

[MrTopTier]

[/quote]
MrTopTier, I've just created an account to thank you for publicising this. I had always thought I was ineligible to give blood due to an illness however having checked again this morning I am eligible and I have just signed up to my first donation!
[/quote]

Brilliant stuff Dan, fantastic response.

So far 10,000 people have booked appointments over the two weeks.

So the message is getting there. Media can brilliant sometimes.

Well done to everyone who can continue to contribute, there have Ben some really heartwarming responses on this thread.

[MrTopTier]

MrTopTier, I've just created an account to thank you for publicising this. I had always thought I was ineligible to give blood due to an illness however having checked again this morning I am eligible and I have just signed up to my first donation!

Brilliant stuff Dan, fantastic response.

So far 10,000 people have booked appointments over the two weeks.

So the message is getting there. Media can brilliant sometimes.

Well done to everyone who can continue to contribute, there have been some really heartwarming responses on this thread.

[Mrpotatohead]

I used to donate regularly then I got out of the habit of attending, I will try and book an appointment next week when I've got a couple of days off work.

Likewise Tiger. However, when I tried to book this morning the website said there were no sessions with availability between now and February 23.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

It would be interesting to know just how this shortage has come about.

People's habits have changed due to Covid, which also impacted the NHS's ability to facilitate donation.

The amber alert has been a very good thing judging by the reaction of the public.

It's a 20min wait just to register at this moment in time, I've had a look.
I'm one of the O types, I'll have to check with mum which one because I've forgotten.

[claretblue]

Even if it was a total pain in the backside giving blood it wouldn't put me off one bit

they take it out of my arm jg!

[Cooclaret]

Given how the Tories want to destroy the NHS so they can fully privatise it, I am surprised that they haven't outsourced the giving of blood and offered to pay you for your donation. It's the Tory way.

No politics on here champ.

[dougcollins]

They've been doing their best to discourage people from giving blood for long enough. They have reduced the staff, they have stopped allowing people to just turn up (now appointment only), they have made appointments difficult to come by unless you book while on the premises from giving your last donation, they have stopped sending postal reminders or requests to give. They say they want more donors, but their actions suggest that saving money is their priority and collecting blood is only secondary.

An admin from NHS came on R5 yesterday and said exactly this. Another part of the service being lined up for privatisation.

[bfcjg]

they take it out of my arm jg!

[dsr]

An admin from NHS came on R5 yesterday and said exactly this. Another part of the service being lined up for privatisation.

Of course, that leads to the question of whether we're better off with a profit-making entity doing the job efficiently or whether we're better off as we are now, where even with plenty of volunteers willing to give blood for free, they still can't supply the hospitals.

If politics have to be mentioned, can we at least be realistic? Anyone prepping a business for sale does so by making it more efficient, not less. They get more money for it that way.

[Devils_Advocate]

Of course, that leads to the question of whether we're better off with a profit-making entity doing the job efficiently or whether we're better off as we are now, where even with plenty of volunteers willing to give blood for free, they still can't supply the hospitals.

If politics have to be mentioned, can we at least be realistic? Anyone prepping a business for sale does so by making it more efficient, not less. They get more money for it that way.

Any efficiency's gained via privatisation is not passed onto the end user but are ploughed into profits. Not only that but they tend to gain efficiency's by stripping away the services (some that are very important) that dont make money so the service offered to the end user is worse in order to make big private company's loads of money.

Of course the wealthy dont suffer cos they have the money to pay for the best care but those at the bottom will be the ones who get screwed over.

If you want to be realistic then pay attention to who the govt are in cahoots with in selling off the NHS cos its the US where the cost of health care is completely off the scale and price gouging is common practice

[Devils_Advocate]

Maybe we want to live in a world like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kll-yYQ ... oliticsJOE

[Chester Perry]

I have always been happy to donate and thought appointments were a wonderful idea - execution (within Burnley) persuaded me otherwise, having to wait 2+ hours after appointment time (on multiple occasions) just made me give up, which is a shame because anyone can use my blood.

[dougcollins]

Of course, that leads to the question of whether we're better off with a profit-making entity doing the job efficiently or whether we're better off as we are now, where even with plenty of volunteers willing to give blood for free, they still can't supply the hospitals.

If politics have to be mentioned, can we at least be realistic? Anyone prepping a business for sale does so by making it more efficient, not less. They get more money for it that way.

You're missing the other side of it- the part where you have to convince the general public that privatisation is a good idea, because it has to be better than what you currently have.

[JohnMcGreal]

Of course, that leads to the question of whether we're better off with a profit-making entity doing the job efficiently or whether we're better off as we are now, where even with plenty of volunteers willing to give blood for free, they still can't supply the hospitals.

If politics have to be mentioned, can we at least be realistic? Anyone prepping a business for sale does so by making it more efficient, not less. They get more money for it that way.

Hmm. That's not really the correct comparison, is it? But no doubt that is what some people would like the public to think.

The current state of the NHS (and other public services) is not what we should be comparing to other, profit-making models.

We should be comparing its previous state, when it was actually better funded and provided a good service to the public to private models, and see how popular the latter is then.

Your innocuous suggestion shows just how effective it is when the government deliberately runs down a publicly owned asset and then leads people to think it's no longer viable. It's predictable but depressing nonetheless.

The NHS needs what every other public service is crying out for, and that's a government that actually cares about it and wants it to succeed. They've been starved of that for a very long time.

[ColneMonkey]

Very commendable but I believe it is not a shortage of donors that’s the problem. It is a shortage of NHS staff.

There’s always a shortage of staff, but this amber alert is linked to a shortage of blood units.

[Corky]

Hmm. That's not really the correct comparison, is it? But no doubt that is what some people would like the public to think.

The current state of the NHS (and other public services) is not what we should be comparing to other, profit-making models.

We should be comparing its previous state, when it was actually better funded and provided a good service to the public to private models, and see how popular the latter is then.

Your innocuous suggestion shows just how effective it is when the government deliberately runs down a publicly owned asset and then leads people to think it's no longer viable. It's predictable but depressing nonetheless.

The NHS needs what every other public service is crying out for, and that's a government that actually cares about it and wants it to succeed. They've been starved of that for a very long time.

Absolutely spot on, especially your final sentence. Sadly under this current administration we are unlikely, in the next couple of years, to see any tangible improvements. But then Conservatism have never supported the idea of an NHS. Why else did they vote against it in 1946 for the 21st time.

[dsr]

Hmm. That's not really the correct comparison, is it? But no doubt that is what some people would like the public to think.

The current state of the NHS (and other public services) is not what we should be comparing to other, profit-making models.

We should be comparing its previous state, when it was actually better funded and provided a good service to the public to private models, and see how popular the latter is then.

Your innocuous suggestion shows just how effective it is when the government deliberately runs down a publicly owned asset and then leads people to think it's no longer viable. It's predictable but depressing nonetheless.

The NHS needs what every other public service is crying out for, and that's a government that actually cares about it and wants it to succeed. They've been starved of that for a very long time.

How do you mean "better funded"? They have more money than ever before, as the BBC article here confirms. OK, it's 4 years old, but funding hasn't reduced in real terms so far as I know, and even if it has, I doubt that 2018 would be considered the palmy days when all was wonderful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42572110

[tiger76]

Tried the website and got nowhere, so I phoned them instead, sadly due to now being on epilepsy medication I can't be considered as suitable for donation anymore.

So, a quick tip for anybody who is considering donating after a lengthy period of not doing so always check before you book as you don't want to turn up to your appointment then find you've wasted your journey.