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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:
SeasonFinale · 29/03/2021 17:05

[quote TroysMammy]@SeasonFinale I'm one of the hated on MN and yes your son would be able to get his vaccinations immediately especially if he is quite young or his surgery has the staff to transfer information from paper notes to computer records. Blood group information is not known or recorded as I suppose there is no need for GP's to have this information. Hospitals on the other hand.[/quote]
He is 19, I am unsure if that qualifies as quite young? To me he is an adult. The records in our area are computerised and I can assure you I did indeed access my blood group from my GP who in turn was able to access my pregnancy notes from years back.

How do you qualify to be "one of the hated on MN?"

TroysMammy · 29/03/2021 17:10

@SeasonFinale - as records have only been computerised in my area about 15 years ago, when I mean young I would say under 35. I'm a GP Receptionist.

Sunny4876 · 29/03/2021 17:18

Dont rely on your parents both being positive so you are automatically positive,always assumed I was o+ like my parents and siblings,found out at 18 first time giving blood that I'm B-(yep my mum had some explaining to do,but that's a whole other thread.
My Dds 1 is B- 2 IS O+

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Antenatal & postnatal Families General health
DogsSausages · 29/03/2021 17:23

My siblings and I have different blood groups, isn't it on your blood donor card or available thru hospital medical records if you have had a baby.

Helspopje · 29/03/2021 17:25

Right

The Rh System in humans
note this is not rhesus but Rh. People usually their RhD positivity or negativity as they are “rhesus” status but they are wrong. To quote the NHSBT, rhesus are a type of monkey not a blood-group system.

To be pos, you need D
To be neg you need the absence of D, nomenclature usually d but really should be - (ie nothing)

If you are DD (big D from each parent), you’re RhD pos
If you are Dd ( one each) you’re still RhD pos
Only if you’re dd (little d (or more correctly absence of big D) from each parent) are you RhD neg

So if you’re RhD pos and you have RhD neg children with an RhD neg husband, you must be Dd and have supplied the d to your kids to go with their dad’s d to make dd

SeasonFinale · 29/03/2021 17:27

@Troysmammay - ah I understand now Grin.

Helspopje · 29/03/2021 17:29

There are cC and eE to deal with too on the full Rh typing, but they’re a monstrous headache for non haematology minded people
Is part of the reason that it can be important to encourage donors of diverse ethnicities though as most RhD pos caucasoid people are CDe or cDE, but many Black British people are cDe which can be relevant for antibody production if they’re transfused C or E pos blood

MarzipanMadness · 29/03/2021 17:35

Both my parents are positive. (O and AB). I’m B- So I really wouldn’t rely on what your parents are.

Dh is A- and our three kids are 0-, AB- and B- it’s actually really fascinating I think.

DGRossetti · 29/03/2021 17:35

@Helspopje

There are cC and eE to deal with too on the full Rh typing, but they’re a monstrous headache for non haematology minded people Is part of the reason that it can be important to encourage donors of diverse ethnicities though as most RhD pos caucasoid people are CDe or cDE, but many Black British people are cDe which can be relevant for antibody production if they’re transfused C or E pos blood
God alone knows what my uncle has (my username doesn't hide my Italian heritage) but DF remembers him being contacted at work (he worked with my DF) by some hospital in London who were desperate for his blood (I have no idea how they knew this) and sent a police car to collect him.

Turns out my DB has slightly odd blood too.

I used to try and get all my girlfriends to give blood back in the day - one moved to France for a while and commented that their typing system seemed to have a lot more letters in it ... (nod to MountainDweller and rather gives my age away a bit Smile )

Musicaltheatremum · 29/03/2021 17:37

We don't have the blood group in our notes. Please done bother the GP with this. I'd be really annoyed with this. There is no need to know your blood group. If you need blood in an emergency you are cross matched at the time or given O negative.
This is not routine work for a GP.

DGRossetti · 29/03/2021 17:41

There is no need to know your blood group

There's no need to know lot's of things ....

moochingtothepub · 29/03/2021 17:43

I was told when I was pregnant. Kids generally wouldn't know unless they have had medical issues

Didiplanthis · 29/03/2021 17:47

'This sounds like laziness from the doctor'

Really ?? Or you could read what other people have written and see its not IN the GP records unless in a letter or record from the hospital... labs will usually not accept or process a blood group request from primary care as there is never a reason for it. If it is needed for surgery or trauma it will be done by the hospital..

feellikeanalien · 29/03/2021 17:54

Slightly off topic but I'm O negative. Only found out when I was pregnant. When I asked my mum what she and dad were she had no clue despite having given birth to four children.

I would like to give blood but am not allowed to because I had a blood transfusion 13 years ago when DD was born. Surely if you are given a blood transfusion in hospital they must have checked that the blood is ok so are there any medical people who can explain why I can't give blood?

DGRossetti · 29/03/2021 19:04

I would like to give blood but am not allowed to because I had a blood transfusion 13 years ago when DD was born. Surely if you are given a blood transfusion in hospital they must have checked that the blood is ok so are there any medical people who can explain why I can't give blood?

Because they have to be ultra careful.

Remember a lot of people died from AIDS after receiving infected blood. And despite it being 35 years on, I don't think all the cases have been settled.

Helspopje · 29/03/2021 19:07

You can’t donate if you’ve received a blood transfusion due to the risk of nvCJD as they don’t know (so can’t screen for) the infective particle (prion)

Helspopje · 29/03/2021 19:09

Post transfusion

'only way to find out your blood group is to give blood'???
Roselilly36 · 29/03/2021 19:11

I am o negative, unfortunately I am unable to donate blood as I have Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a shame as I can donate organs but not blood, even though MS is not thought to be associated with blood.

Greybeardy · 29/03/2021 19:16

@feellikeanalien

Slightly off topic but I'm O negative. Only found out when I was pregnant. When I asked my mum what she and dad were she had no clue despite having given birth to four children.

I would like to give blood but am not allowed to because I had a blood transfusion 13 years ago when DD was born. Surely if you are given a blood transfusion in hospital they must have checked that the blood is ok so are there any medical people who can explain why I can't give blood?

As per the blood donor website, you can’t donate if you had a transfusion after 1980 due to concern re vCJD.
itsgettingwierd · 29/03/2021 19:27

I know my blood group from when I was banned from giving blood! They still tested it!

Ds was on our discharge notes from hospital after his birth (but not U.K.)

Can someone explain the anti d thing?

I'm O- and ds is A-. His dad is A (poss AB?) -

Roselilly36 · 29/03/2021 20:34

Plus or neg is the Rhesus factor from my understanding, if mum is - and dad is + anti D is require. I didn’t need anti d with my first pregnancy as DS1 had my blood, I did require anti d with DS2, as he was rhesus positive the same as DH. If anti d isn’t administered within so many hours after delivery it can cause problems with future pregnancies. Don’t worry about this hospitals are informed and on the ball with this. I had a call very quickly, DH collected the anti d injection and put it in the fridge ready for the midwife to administer on her visit the following day. I am not clinical hopefully a HCP will explain it better.

feellikeanalien · 29/03/2021 20:41

Thanks to pps who have responded. That is interesting to know. Would it make any difference that I didn't have the transfusion in the UK?

DGRossetti · 29/03/2021 21:11

@Roselilly36

I am o negative, unfortunately I am unable to donate blood as I have Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a shame as I can donate organs but not blood, even though MS is not thought to be associated with blood.
That's DWs position. Although there's also any medication you take for the MS that might be a factor.
Original poster
52andblue · 29/03/2021 21:14

As I started the thread can I just chip in and say that I didn't 'bother the Dr' - it was a very brief call to reception (perhaps 1.5mins?) nor did I say anything about 'laziness' re Dr on this.

I was simply really surprised that a persons blood group was not recorded on 'the front of their notes' as it were. Now I know.

I'm still looking for kids 'green books' when they were babies in case it's on there. I don't esp want to do a pinprick test so other option would be to obtain a copy of their birth records (which might be interesting for other reasons). I'm still glad I started the thread as I've learned some interesting things and it seems to have been helpful for others too.

OP posts:
TurquoiseDragon · 30/03/2021 08:58

@DGRossetti

All Oneg donors are given a higher priority for things like appointments and may well be able to squeeze you in somethereal.

That's simply not true.

As I said, I gave up after not being able to get an appointment and being told quite bluntly not to even think about turning up without.

I complained about this 10 years ago, so it's not new.

The priority system for O neg donors is relatively new. I had a letter a couple of years ago, containing a new phone number for priority calls.

I get texts, emails and phone calls if I haven't made an appointment.