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Original poster

'only way to find out your blood group is to give blood'???

126 replies

52andblue · 29/03/2021 09:02

I called my GP to find out my blood group.
I was told 'not on your records unless you've given blood'
I have given birth and had recent surgery so surely it would be on there?
I was told the only way to find out is to give blood?
My kids are at a different GP. I was told their blood groups also 'not avail'. I have recollections of a 'green book' when they were babies but they are now nearly 14 and 17 so probably long lost.

They are joining Cadets and want the wee dog tags which say which blood group you are. It's not essential but surely it should be possible to find out without giving blood or trying to phone hospital where I gave birth (the other suggestion) ? Do I have to pay for a SAR?

OP posts:
AllTheWayFromLondonDAMN · 29/03/2021 09:40

My kids blood types are definitely in their red books, but I’m Rh- so I don’t know if they were only tested because of me.

Some trusts now give the Anti D to mothers who are Rh- even if they have an Rh- partner, simply because they’ve historically fallen foul of this when the mother is Rh- and her husband is too but the baby comes out mysteriously Rh+. I know this from a friend who’s a doctor, they had some training on it and basically the logic is that in those situations in creates a huge scene about paternity that no one needs in the recovery suite, so they just Anti D everyone in the belief that the father could be anyone. Better safe than sorry!

ArnoldBee · 29/03/2021 09:42

My blood group was on my pregnancy notes and was specifically tested beforehand and was sent a card separately with it in. I was told my son's blood group as I asked at the hospital but I didn't get any documentation.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 29/03/2021 09:45

If you have your maternity notes it's usually in there, I've still got the discharge notes which summarise times and stages of Labour and my blood group was part of the standard typed up information.

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SeasonFinale · 29/03/2021 09:46

I might ring back and ask if they would look specifically at your pregnancy notes for your blood type. After all you really wouldn't want to have them to send copies of all your medical notes (which I believe you could ask for). I am not suggesting that you actually ask for copies but it might make them more amenable to looking it up for you.

RoomAtTheEndOfTheWorld · 29/03/2021 09:49

I've never given blood but found mine and DS's out when I requested a copy of my maternity notes from the GP

Hoppythehippo · 29/03/2021 09:52

“ I might ring back and ask if they would look specifically at your pregnancy notes for your blood type. After all you really wouldn't want to have them to send copies of all your medical notes (which I believe you could ask for). I am not suggesting that you actually ask for copies but it might make them more amenable to looking it up for you.”

Yes, because in the middle of the current situation with covid, rolling out the vaccine etc it’s entirely reasonable to pester GP reception staff, who obviously have nothing better to do than provide information to satisfy curiosity and enable kids to wear totally unnecessary dog tags. Patients might be entitled to their notes but I’d hope people might consider whether this is really what the nhs needs to be doing right now.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 29/03/2021 09:53

@minisoksmakehardwork why did your husband need to know his blood type because you're A-? Juts curious as I'm A- also! I had to get the anti d injection but they didn't factor in his blood type in that decision, only the fact that I was rhesus negative.

sashh · 29/03/2021 09:56

You can buy a test on amazon. They are about £5.

It used to be on the biology curriculum pre AIDS.

Shezlon · 29/03/2021 10:01

I'm a (former) blood donor so I know mine and because I'm Rh- all my children were tested at birth too and I made a note of them all so from that we've deduced what DH is.
My midwife told me they don't factor in the husband/partner's blood group in case of different paternity, so if you are -ve you get the anti-d injections anyway.

If you didn't have anti-d injections in pregnancy, then you would be +ve so it's very likely your children haven't been tested for blood group at all yet anyway.

Original poster
52andblue · 29/03/2021 10:02

thank you all.
I don't want to be a nuisance about it.
I have called my best friend as I remember she and I are the same blood group. She confirmed she is A+. So I now know my group.
My dd had blood tests at her GP last month (which showed low white cells and anemia) but perhaps they don't test for blood type as well.

Just surprised: I thought it would be straightforward to find out?

@BashfulClam - as it happens I have pernicious anemia which is not well controlled so my GP has advised I don't give blood at present until it is. I have given blood in the past, yes. However, I don't think it is right to make a moral judgement about access to simple medical information about oneself - you don't have to 'earn it' by giving blood?
Whether all those who can should do so anyway is a different matter.

OP posts:
Original poster
52andblue · 29/03/2021 10:11

@MichelleScarn

'They are joining Cadets and want the wee dog tags which say which blood group you are.' I don't think you get these as part of issue kit in the cadets do you? The dog tags are generally only worn in event you'd likely have a battlefield injury and would need to be identified or couldn't give medical info due to being incapacitated. Are the just wanting them to look 'gucci' ?
'to look Gucci'? NO. They have Autism. They've got it in their heads that it would be 'excellently most correct' to have these tags. It's important to them and (maybe) could be useful & they're on sale for £2 each so why not? I remember medical info bracelets being, briefly, so popular that they were sold on the market stall where i had a Saturday job in the mid 1980's. They were stainless steel with a wee folding paper insert? My dd has selective mutism so yes, in a medical emergency when she is older she might well not be able to give medical info. As might any of us, and clearly from this thread not all of us know our blood group or find it easy to find it out.
OP posts:
womaninatightspot · 29/03/2021 10:12

I know from giving blood but you can test yourself if you're keen

homehealth-uk.com/all-products/bloodgroup/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9YWDBhDyARIsADt6sGaHa6CTv0YZm5RZk2iA8ejFDX3946dkpdpLPIrhJPw0Pn8hdO2EutQaAn-TEALw_wcB

SeasonFinale · 29/03/2021 10:12

"Yes, because in the middle of the current situation with covid, rolling out the vaccine etc it’s entirely reasonable to pester GP reception staff, who obviously have nothing better to do than provide information to satisfy curiosity and enable kids to wear totally unnecessary dog tags. Patients might be entitled to their notes but I’d hope people might consider whether this is really what the nhs needs to be doing right now."

Well in the context of most of the vaccines are now being dealt with within vaccination centres and even those who may have had first doses at the GP due to an underlying condition are being redirected to the centres for their second does I would full expect a GP surgery to still be able to continue doing their usual job. If you read my post properly I suggested they ask them to quickly look it up, a 2 minute job. The world of work does not completely grind to halt with "covid" as the excuse. Plenty of people in all fields including at the local GP are carrying on with their regular work alongside dealing with the impact of covid.

JustSleepAlready · 29/03/2021 10:13

This sounds like laziness from the doctor tbh.

MegaClutterSlut · 29/03/2021 10:21

I found out when I was pregnant (A-) also was told the dcs blood group when they were born. A+ and O+

wonderstuff · 29/03/2021 10:29

I know I'm O- because I had to have anti-D injections in pregnancy, seems strange they don't keep that on your notes. Both kids were tested at birth because I'm Rh- and both were O+ so dh must be.

I looked into giving blood recently as I'm able to for first time, but they've really reduced the amount of blood they collect over last few years and there were no appointments near me for months. I assume they don't really need blood products from people who aren't rare blood types.

titchy · 29/03/2021 10:33

For all practical purposes it makes no difference anyway. You could have several medical tags, tattoos, your doctors notes all on your person when youre in an accident that requires you to have a blood transfusion. It will all be ignored in favour of good old Oneg and a further test to ascertain your type!

sashh · 29/03/2021 10:43

I assume they don't really need blood products from people who aren't rare blood types.

Not true, O- can be given to most people so it is always in demand.

Fyredraca · 29/03/2021 10:50

Your GP surgery doesn't have access to your maternity notes. They are kept in the medical records department for where you give birth.
There's no value to storing the info as they always test you before giving you bloods.

minisoksmakehardwork · 29/03/2021 10:57

@AwaAnBileYerHeid - we were asked to find out for sure by our midwife. While best practices is to routinely give anti-d shots, our area like to know for sure if they can. It makes planning a lot easier.

I've had 4 dc, 3 pregnancies. Anti-d shots for all of them and when I was in an accident whilst pregnant with ds2, it was easier for me to tell them I know dh was rhesus positive to make sure I got the extra anti-d shot post accident to protect ds and I.

In my twin pregnancy, they gave me 2 shots and dd2 was still born jaundiced. It meant the hospital knew it was likely a rehsus negative cause rather than a liver issue so treated accordingly.

TroysMammy · 29/03/2021 11:03

@SeasonFinale GP surgeries who vaccinated first doses are vaccinating second doses not MVCs but it doesn't stop people ringing about their second doses even though they were advised not to contact.

They are doing their usual job and yes it would only take 2 minutes but they don't have blood group type on record. As someone said it's in maternity notes stored at the hospital.

@JustSleepAlready no it's not laziness, they just don't have the information.

thismeansnothing · 29/03/2021 11:04

But they find out your blood group when you have a baby though.

Also. What if you can't give blood (like my DH) does that mean you can never know what it is?!

DGRossetti · 29/03/2021 11:06

@diwrnachoflleyn

If you know your parents' blood types you can sometimes tell from that. For example, if they are both type O, then so are you. If you didn't have to have Rh factor treatment whilst pregnant, then you are Rh+.
Probably one of the less reliable techniques ...

More people know their star sign than blood group.

WhateverHappenedToFayWray · 29/03/2021 11:07

I was also told when I was pregnant

SeasonFinale · 29/03/2021 11:12

[quote TroysMammy]@SeasonFinale GP surgeries who vaccinated first doses are vaccinating second doses not MVCs but it doesn't stop people ringing about their second doses even though they were advised not to contact.

They are doing their usual job and yes it would only take 2 minutes but they don't have blood group type on record. As someone said it's in maternity notes stored at the hospital.

@JustSleepAlready no it's not laziness, they just don't have the information.[/quote]
In our area they do. They are all linked and can cross access.