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 donate regularly but never get an email or text to tell me where it was used. Maybe they just bin mine . I'm B+ so not particularly in demand.

Donating next on 3 June. I last donated a couple of weeks before lockdown.

@readilyavailable ahhh I didn't realise there was a difference! I wish they'd explained that when I tweeted them.

@ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson are you in Scotland or Wales? I've read somewhere you only get told about your donation if you're in England.

I can’t give blood any more because I have leukaemia

On behalf of all those who have blood cancer, can I urge everyone who is lovely enough to be a donor to consider going on a bone marrow donation register?

You can do this the next time you give blood - tell the receptionist you want to and they’ll give you an extra info sheet plus form to sign, and then when they take the test phials at the start of your donation they will take one to go with your registration form,

it's great that they tell you. I went just before everything kicked off, in February, and since you can go after 56 days here went again last week. Took a DC for their first one too.

It was a bit weird - we donate to the Red Cross here - with social distancing and no coffee & cake afterwards, but it's necessary.

Am trying to time a tattoo so i can fit 2 more sessions in this year (max 4 per year for women here)

@ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson

B+ most definitely is in demand. I'm B+, this is an excerpt from an email they sent me after my last donation...

B positive blood is only shared by 1 in 13 people, and is regularly used in the treatment of patients with thalassemia and sickle cell disease, so we always need more!

I'm booked tomorrow. I'm Oneg. Xx

Professor, a great many years ago, a lecture at university was interrupted to as if anyone who knew they had a B blood group and was able and willing to give blood would please bring their things and come with the messenger now to donate. 4 people got up and went out. So when it's needed, it's needed. The lecture theatre was a few hundred metres from the hospital. We never found out any more about it, except that they had been given free tea and some flapjacks each.

Thanks for the reminder OP, just booked for next week!

It's all in demand. I'm A+ and was really disappointed when I found out, because it's the 2nd most common, but a nurse said to me that the common ones are in demand because it's used a lot, and the less common ones are in demand because there's not a lot about :-)

My next donation is 8th May, hopefully they don’t cancel mine. I too love getting the text letting me know where it has been issued too.

I gave blood last week but they had cancelled half the appointments in order that they could maintain distance between the donors.

They cancelled DP's and he's the same blood group as me. He tried to get another appointment but there was nothing within a 10 mile radius before July. So we've both just booked the next session in August at our usual donation centre.

I'm in England so not sure why I never hear anything - maybe I'll ask next time I donate.

I'm already on the bone marrow register, have been for years but have never been called - I read somewhere that they do prefer men for that simply because on average they have bigger bones!

I love getting the text saying where the blood has gone ❤️

I went to donate literally half an hour before the lockdown was announced.

My OH is alive because of plasma donation so I'm so grateful to all that give.

I'm booked in for 26 June, so as I'm O Neg anticipate getting the usual pleas to not cancel if possible.

I'm on the organ register, and also the bone marrow register.

In fact about 2 years ago I got a letter about potentially donating bone marrow. It said they needed to do more tests to confirm a match, and asked a few questions about physical health.

I called and discussed it, and then later on the tests came back to say sadly I wasn't a good match. Shame, but I wouldn't be surprised if the fact I was a late 40s obese female (as I was then) didn't factor in somewhere. They were clear that young males are the preferred donors.

I doubt I'll get contacted again to donate bone marrow, I'd be surprised if I matched to many. But would donate like a shot if someone needed it.

I’m O+ and I love it when I get that text telling me where my blood has gone! I have an appointment booked for some time next month: not sure if they will cancel or change, but if not, I’ll be there.