If you want to do something to help the NHS remember Blood Donation is Essential Travel

[fuckinghellthisshit]

AIBU to remind you that if you want to do something to support the NHS blood donation is essential travel?
www.blood.co.uk/news-and-campaigns/news-and-statements/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/

You could also use your time to sign up as an organ donor:
www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

And elderly befriending services are a wonderful lifeline to those who are shielding and lonely:
www.ageuk.org.uk/services/befriending-services/

Thank you

I had to book a month in advance but my appointment to give blood is tomorrow.

I donated last week, could only get an appointment in my neighbouring town, I loved the peace of the drive there and back!

I have my next appointment booked for two weeks time (booked back at start of year just after my last donation).

It will be the first time I would have left the house since just before lockdown but I fully intend to keep the appointment.

I got my email to say mine had been used yesterday - at Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield (I'm in Manchester). It really makes me happy to get those emails - it's nice to feel that you're hopefully making a difference to someone's life.

I can’t donate but have received blood and wanted to thank you all. I also was able to have an operation because someone had donated, I did not need it that time, but they wouldn’t have done the surgery without blood on standby.
You are all

chocaholic wow that would of really brightened my day getting an email like that wow cheered me up no end

I went just after Easter and got an email yesterday telling me the blood had gone to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (I’m in Sheffield). Really fascinating!

They usually text to let me know they used my blood. It always takes longer for them to use mine than DH’s. I always assume that’s because his O+ blood is required more quickly than my B+. Or it might be because he’s male and there are some things they only use male blood for. Or a mixture of both things.

It’s fascinating though. Mine always ends up in South Yorkshire too.

Wonderful!

I donated a couple of weeks ago, mine ended up in Birmingham Children's Hospital which was a lovely text to receive

I also gave blood a few weeks ago and got the text to say it had been used, love that bit. There were 2 people I knew also waiting to donate. Chairs in the waiting areas were 2m apart but we could still chat, was quite the evening out

I assume that there’s no rifling through the biscuit selection afterwards at the moment.

I gave blood on Saturday, was good to get out alone without a 3 year old in tow!

Mine for tomorrow was cancelled a couple of days ago. There's no availability locally until the middle of July now! A bit frustrating because as a HCP, I know it's needed!

I used to give regularly but haven't managed much over the past 4 years due to a mixture of pregnancies and anaemia. Hope to be back to it next year at some point.

The only appointment I could get within 4 months was in a couple of weeks, a bit further than my usual location. Serendipitously my fastest route there takes me within 50 yards of DS’s house so, shock, horror, I am planning to divert to wave at him from his drive! DH must of course come with me to drive in case I come over all peculiar after donating, so he’ll be able to wave as well! Perfect excuse!

Booked for 22nd June

Unless they cancel your appointment which happened to me last week. I questioned why I was chosen on twitter and I was told they had to limit numbers so they chose blood types that they had plenty of stocks of. Understandable but DH had the same appointment time with the same blood type, I booked mine first yet I was the one that got cancelled popped on the app a couple of days ago and they'd had a cancellation so I booked in again for this week, we'll see if I get cancelled again!

@ednclouda - seriously, it's one of the best bits about doing it! The staff obviously say thanks for donating when you do it, and that's lovely, and I say thanks for taking it, but the email or text comes out of the blue a few weeks later, and it literally makes my heart sing.

@ReadilyAvailable - snacks are still there - no hot drinks, and things in my centre were in separate containers, so no need to rifle, but they still feed me up before I leave.

As a blood transfusion recipient I was concerned that people would stop donating during lockdown. My fear was unfounded, people are so wonderful, so caring and so generous. What you lovely lovely people are doing is giving the gift of life. It is the very definition of the milk of human kindness.

My life depends on regular transfusions and I give thanks every day to still be alive. I can’t ever repay the kindness to all those amazing donors but I make a point of paying it forward.

Even in a pandemic, whilst some may hoard food and show their indifference, others keep showing their humanity. Thank you.

@mummyh2016 I think they have a greater need for male blood too, which might have factored into it. More women sign up to give blood than men (especially in younger people), and there are some reasons why they need male blood in particular.

I can't give blood medical reasons but did donate over 25 litres of breast milk 15 years ago and felt like a total champ for weeks

My understanding is limited but I believe that men's blood contains fewer antibodies and this makes it easier to use in blood products such as plasma and platelets. And men have more accidents.

I have tried to register, but to no avail.

I can no longer give blood (ME/CFS is on the banned list until research can show it's not blood transmitted) but was up to 28 donations before I had to stop.
I keep a look out to check whether I can rejoin though.