AIBU to remind people about donating blood?

[MLMshouldbeillegal]

Gave blood this week at a community session near my house. The nurse who chatted to me as my blood was being taken was saying how much the pandemic has impacted them - no walk ins, everyone has to make an appointment, if people don't/can't turn up after booking that's a slot lost, numbers are down because people are avoiding being around other people.

So if you can - and I know not everyone can - please consider signing up as a donor or going back to being a donor if you did in the past and haven't been in a while.

I’ve had transfusions so not allowed to give blood but of course that makes me extra grateful to anyone who does give blood.

It’s a shame that the new policies are putting so many people off. DH gave blood when they started opening again and he said it was different than it had been before but not too bad, however we live in a small town so a bit different. I certainly would be a bit put off if I had to wait in the rain like a pp said!

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea

I'm very impressed at how many donations some have made. I'm 38 years old and coming up to donation number 39. 2 years living abroad and associated time now allowed to give after return, 3 pregnancies and the postnatal period, a couple of year long anaemia bans and a couple of cancelled settings while going through testing as a potential bone marrow donor. Still going though!

I've been donating for over 40 years, and have given 108 times. They only used to call you every 6 months; but now it's a minimum of 18 weeks, I can fit in 3 donations a year. It soon builds up. (And that's with having to skip donations following various operations)

I tried but my veins are pretty rubbish. The second time I went they tried both my arms with no luck so came out with two bandaged arms but not having donated any blood.

The one and only time I managed to donate I got a recall after one of the people my blood or blood products contracted a blood borne disease. The whole incident was handles pretty badly by the blood bank.

After all that they kept calling and trying to guilt me into going back. I had to get very firm with them to get taken off their list.

I see NHS Blood Donation on my FB feed and there are LOTS of people saying how hard it it at the moment, but they keep getting asked to donate.

@TheOrigRights

I see NHS Blood Donation on my FB feed and there are LOTS of people saying how hard it it at the moment, but they keep getting asked to donate.

Yep, if they spent less time/money on letters/texts/emails/adverts asking for blood and more time and money on actually providing appointments/staff/venues to actually take the blood then they would get more blood ... not only that but they would have people coming back repeatedly rather than getting fed up of being messed around and just giving up trying.