Blood donations - still important?

[ChinBristles]

Hello

When I were a lass in the 90s, there were lots of adverts about giving blood, how important it was. And blood drives and vans coming round to make it easy to donate.

In my city in Scotland there is only ONE blood donor centre and I never hear of vans or adverts.

I know there are more synthetic options now but why is much less of a thing now? (I have booked in to start giving again, now that I no longer get tattooes etc!)

Thanks

My DH is O neg and gets a text when there is a local session, plus reminders.

thank you @ChinBristles. My dad gets regular transfusions. They started when I was pregnant so couldn't donate but I should have got around to it before now.

I have had rude staff, my veins can be a nightmare, I drink all day to help out plus do the large drink whilst waiting etc etc but they are still tricky. (Its the same for normal blood tests)

I hit 25 donations and called it a day as I couldn't cope with being made to feel like I was wasting their time, when I had juggled life to try and be helpful. Not the same places, multiple centres. Some of the nurses have been lovely, others not so much, one nurse even asked why I bothered to try and not to bother coming back!