blood doning

CathM
Posts: 77
Joined: 1 Nov 2019, 5:20pm
Location: Cumbria

Re: blood doning

Post by CathM »

Please don't be put off donating blood by complaints about the hassle - in the last two places I've lived (Aberdeenshire & Cumbria) there has been an appointment system and it has improved the service greatly. In the old days I used to turn up, wait for over an hour with a good book (sometimes a lot over an hour), pass or fail the haemoglobin test (about 50:50) and go home either pleased or disgruntled. The appointment system works well in my experience, donating sessions are swift and if my haemoglobin's not up to the mark I know about it within a few minutes. Covid has made booking an appointment a little more difficult but you can always ask if they've got a cancellation.

I do find that my recovery time has increased as I've got older. I never used to notice any after-effect, but now I'm pretty tired the following day. On one occasion I cycled to the centre straight from work, had a snack, donated then tried to ride up the modest incline near my home, and learned that they don't tell you to avoid strenuous activity for nothing. I felt about 90!
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: blood doning

Post by Tangled Metal »

There must be a wide discrepancy between efficiency of donation centres. Ours is a mobile one that works the various halls around north Lancashire. When it reaches our town it is atrocious.

Before booking I'd get in there and wait between half an hour and a full hour but always got to give, no issues with iron or tapping a vein. After booking came in I always wait over an hour and 50:50 whether there was enough time to fit my donation in. They always started turning people away at the door before halfway through the session opening times.

However, imho that's not a good reason not to keep trying to donate. In my case there were a few other issues that added up to being unable to donate. A mix of work, home and getting in issues combined.

My ideal solution would have been to transfer to another donation site but after donation I do sometimes feel a bit iffy. I really don't want to drive straight after. I guess my low blood pressure at the time was the reason for that iffy feeling after donation.
IanH
Posts: 98
Joined: 7 Nov 2009, 1:50pm
Location: Wellington, Somerset.

Re: blood doning

Post by IanH »

On a positive note, I've had no problem with the Blood Donation Service in Somerset. I've always been "In" and "Out" in good time and the appointment schedule / timing has been very reliable. The staff are attentive, cheerful and enthusiastic - not an easy task when the duties are inevitably repetitive and, for the donors, occasionally stressful.
So, members please, if you can, give it a try; get out and donate!
PS. I have no links to, or other interest in, the BDS!
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RickH
Posts: 5832
Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: blood doning

Post by RickH »

Tangled Metal wrote:You can't donate above 70 so for most of you guys it's not an issue anymore! :lol:

They changed the rules a while back & as long as you are already a donor, & in good health, you can now carry on beyond 70 if you want.

I'm not 70 yet (nearly 62, I've spent this year telling people I'm just a 19 year old upside down :lol:) but I decided to retire after 70 donations last year.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: blood doning

Post by Tangled Metal »

Just found my 25 donations pin badge in a drawer. Had a few since then but maybe only another 6 or 7 times.
Jdsk
Posts: 24627
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Blood donation

Post by Jdsk »

NB date.

"Stocks of blood are critically low":
https://www.blood.co.uk/news-and-campai ... ointments/

I think that's the first ever "Amber alert".

Jonathan
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: blood doning

Post by Tangled Metal »

They could have been having my O+ all these years of they'd not introduced the pointless appointment system. I our donation centre I always got to give blood but appointment system came in and even if I turned up half an hour early for my appointment it was still 50:50 whether I'd get to give blood.

No idea why the appointment system caused such a breakdown in the donation session but it did.
mumbojumbo
Posts: 1525
Joined: 1 Aug 2018, 8:18pm

Re: blood doning

Post by mumbojumbo »

I would make it mandatory unless you opt out.
Psamathe
Posts: 17646
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: blood doning

Post by Psamathe »

BBC TV News reporting the problem stems from staff shortages rather than donor shortages.

Ian
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: blood doning

Post by Tangled Metal »

mumbojumbo wrote: 12 Oct 2022, 7:36pm I would make it mandatory unless you opt out.
What mandatory? Donations or appointments?
Tiberius
Posts: 798
Joined: 31 Dec 2014, 8:45am
Location: North East England

Re: blood doning

Post by Tiberius »

Psamathe wrote: 12 Oct 2022, 7:42pm BBC TV News reporting the problem stems from staff shortages rather than donor shortages.

Indeed.

I would happily make donation No 97 tomorrow but there aren't any appointments available here until well into 2023. In fact, here and now, there is a waiting system to even get onto the web site, I've never seen that before. It's probably due to so many (would be) donors trying to make appointments.

Edit - 08:33. Can't get on the web site at all now.....'Try again later'...

Looking back through this thread there is a post from me made nearly two years ago. I said then that there appeared to be a shortage of staff.
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