blood stocks low - will anyone donate in my place?

[outforblood]

My time as a blood donor is over. I tried and failed to donate yesterday for the last time. Having donated regularly since I was a teenager, this was the second visit in a row where even the most experienced senior nurse was unable to access a vein.

Apparently my veins are very small, buried deep, and the one stretch where they come close to the surface is now unsuitable for further attempts due to being used so often. No need to try again: "Looks like we've got all we can out of you."

I always found giving blood very life-affirming. I've been very lucky to be in good health most of my life so I always felt fortunate just to be in a position to do it. I know many can't. So I felt very sad to be turned away, but even worse to then read that blood stocks are currently dangerously low, particularly of rarer types (like mine).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw4y2x2kn4ko

I thought I'd come on here in case I could spur someone on here who is eligible to donate but on the fence to take my place. Maybe you've been meaning to donate but haven't got round to it, or maybe you haven't done it for a long time, or maybe you're a first-timer and nervous. But it's such a positive thing to do, the staff I've encountered have always friendly and gentle and professional. And of course you get and afterwards!

If you have any questions or concerns let me know and I'll do my best to help. But it would make my day if even one person pledged to donate in my place. 🙂

Well done for all you've done!

I can't donate anymore either due to having a blood transfusion with DS1 but after my work colleagues heard my horrific birth story they all went as a gang to donate and I was so moved and proud of them!

So easy but so vital.

They send you a card with your blood type on after donation. Or at least they did when I first donated 22 years ago

I think if you are O negative you are classed as First Responder and there is a special number for you to call so that they make space for you to donate - 0300 303 2096

I'd love to donate and as I am O- they would also love me. However a previous blood transfusion and being on the 'please don't donate for health reasons' list means they don't want me.

Thank you to everyone that's donated. Without your kind and selfless acts I wouldn't be here typing this and my kids wouldn't have their Mum.

Thanks. I have a needle phobia so I'm unlikely to be able to donate - I got as far as booking the appointment once and started panicking so had to cancel.

Ah ok, will give that a try then thanks. They've called me to donate in the past, but it's been a while. I think they give up on me because my travel discounts me fairly frequently.

Made my appointment for next week. I'm lucky there is a donation centre near my work so I can go at lunch time

Sadly I'm not a rare type but I know I'll be useful either way

Thanks for this thread, I’m O neg and this has prompted me to register to donate for the first time

It's not about how rare you are, it's how useful.

O+ is the most common blood type, at about a third of the UK population, but three quarters of people can receive it, so it's really useful. Not as good as O- but very nearly.

Mine was recorded in the hospital notes when I had my DC (O+).

I've just signed up to donate, as I'm o- so is my husband and the next available appointment is 8th of August 10 miles away or September 3 miles away..

The NHS should allow o- to have priority as it is a universal donor blood and there's less than 2 days stock in the whole country.

I've had this issue before, availability is miles away and the appointment is always months off 😞

No appointments until September local, would be happy to go further and combine with a day out or something but the distance from my postcode seems pre set?
It's good if it means they've got lots of blood coming from donations though!

I've given a few pints but have been anaemic for the last 8 years.

You might be able to find a slot if you look directly at city centre sites that would work for you.
www.blood.co.uk/the-donation-process/about-our-donation-venues/

I 'tried out' for plasma donating a couple of months ago and they were lovely but said my veins were not made for their needles! So I went back to plain ol blood donation yesterday!

For those of us with 'tricky' veins - honestly drink as much water as you physically can all day (I always book the latest appointment possible to maximise water drinking time) it really makes a huge difference - I was a proper sceptic till I tried it! Also, not really an issue atm, but keep your arms warm - in colder weather I keep my hoodie or whatever on until the last possible minute to keep my arms warm and that really helps too 

A couple of years ago I gave blood the week after my best friend's nephew almost died in a motorcycle accident, he needed 6 pints of blood and it really brought it home to me that he needed 6 people's donations to survive that day! Please sign up if you can 

I can't donate - tried several times but have weird veins apparently!

Very proud to say that my ds2 who is deaf and autistic is giving blood for the first time in November... He's a bit scared of blood so I've contacted the Blood Donor people to see if he can visit a donor session before and have a look.
His friends son has had leukemia and ds2 signed up to be a bone marrow donor last year too.

Amazing! Good on him.

Just checked and the donation site here is the main hospital six miles away which would mean two bus rides as parking at the hospital is an absolute nightmare and also a lot of time out of work. They used to being a mobile unit into the city centre.

I went on the NHS donation page earlier and got a message saying the site was busy. Must be a lot of people wanting to donate, which is good...

My husband donates and I went with him once but was told BMI too low and didn't meet criteria

I still can’t get onto the website because it’s too busy so … not sure what more to do really. It just keeps saying timed out.

I was not always donating blood, but started after both my parents died suddenly of cancer, few years ago. They did not necessary need blood but their sudden deaths made me think of death and illness. I have a big family and chances are at least one of us will need blood at one point in our life. Someone would have to donate in order for me or my family member to receive it, so I started donating to pay forward in a way. When I started donating blood my oldest daughter registered to be organ donor.

Tried again 3 times today, still queuing on the website . The time never goes down, just times out. Totally understand why people don't pursue this

Bumping because the incident today in Southport shows how important it is