Can't give blood until further notice as my blood type is too rare?

[Clubtropicanadrinksarenotfree]

Has anyone else heard this? I've been trying to get an online appointment for ages but it kept saying they were fully booked which I found odd, as they always need blood donations.
It said they were full for the next year which just didn't seem right, so I went into the centre on Friday.
I have given blood there before a few years ago, but I was told that as my blood type is very rare they generally don't need any more of this type, so that's why I can't get an appointment ever.
It's a shame but what can I do, just keep trying.

Universal recipient. My mum was ab +. I'm b+. Its interesting i think.

AB are the universal recipients, O are the universal donors.

So AB can take anything but give to no one but there own group. AB is approx 5% of the population in UK (this figure is from memory so might not be totally accurate).

Resus -ve can not have resus +ve blood as it makes them ill (hence the problems in pregnancy) resus +ve can have resus -ve because it simply doesn't have the antigen in it.

This is why O-ve is used in emergencies until cross matching has taken place.

I wasn't really offended I was just joking 🙃

I’m AB+ too and they never want mine. I’m on some sort of list for the local university research programme so quite often get called to give blood to them instead. I can’t remember how I got into it, I think my consultant asked if I was interested in helping out when he gave me my final sign off after some surgery. I recommend it, you get a bacon sandwich afterwards instead of just a biscuit.

Another AB+ person here. After my first donation they emailed saying what my blood type was and that because it is rare to wait until called.

I’m O Neg, and I’m due to go tomorrow. The last couple of times I’ve been ill so didn’t go (I’m an ex NBS nurse so I know their donation criteria). I’m fine to give this time though.

I'm O negative and they hassle me constantly to give blood. I used to give very regularly and have done for years but don't now because they closed our local donation centre. The closest place to donate is now a taxi/bus ride away and coupled with the inevitable 1.5 hour wait to actually donate it has little appeal.
I don't understand, if they want donations so badly why they make it so difficult 😕

@GiltEdges @4FoxxSake another a neg here. The last three appointments have gone pop - I turned up a day too soon after travel, sent away. Rebooked - cancelled less than an hour beforehand. Rebooked - cancelled the day before. Yet they keep phoning and email roughly daily. I can’t tell if they want this blood or not (last actual donation was a fail as they didn’t get enough in the time, so I drink like mad the day before and frankly being cancelled when you’re in the vicinity of the donation centre but can’t use their loo, and have to get back on the rush hour tube? NO THANKS!)

I’m B+ but haven’t donated for a few years due to pregnancies/breastfeeding. The last time I went, the nurse was saying that they get overrun with certain bloods and it takes up their time! I haven’t been asked back since, I check the levels but there always seems to be plenty. DH is o+ and more in demand.

B- seems to be one they always appeal for.

Rhesus A positive here. Common as muck😁 I used to give blood, but haven't done so for a long time.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing - interesting, I was told they had enough A- most of the time and it wasn’t really needed very much.

I do believe we are the gold medalists of platelet donation though, I must look into it.

They don't want my blood. Hard not to think well its good enough for me!

I am B Du. My blood group isn’t on the NHS blood stock list? Is it rare?

@Sapphirejane the rules for platelet donation are odd though- you have to have a specific height / weight ratio (body mass) which I think for most women would mean only the very obese

@Sapphirejane Ive just been looking into platelet donation as a result of this thread! They want you to have given blood recently though, and I haven’t as I was on a particular medication that meant you couldn’t. Off it now so have made an appointment.

@AtillatheHun I don’t think you have to be obese. I’ve just looked into it and for my height (5’6”) they want you to 62 kg or more, which I hope isn’t obese!

@AtillatheHun @GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing I meant plasma not platelets, facepalm!

I realise I’ve mixed metric and imperial there in true British style!

Ah i see! That makes sense about the plasma, because they wouldn’t let me give mine after I had Covid very early on in the pandemic (proper Wuhan original stuff!)

I'm AB+ too. Hello to my people! I was really upset I couldn't give blood as my dad had leukaemia and took to much I wanted for five back something and to be told no felt personal even though I know it's not
It's so interesting. Thanks for the explanations!

I'm o neg and would love to donate but I needed a transfusion in 2010 so sadly can't.

I'm A+. I was very pleased when I found this out. Did better on my blood tests than I did in my GCSEs.

Thank you for this thread OP, you have reminded me to book an appointment. I am O- but often struggle to fit appointments in around tattoos, piercings, running (in particular races) and work. I have managed to book one for next month, 4 months after last tattoo, 10 days after a half marathon and before I go back to work 😀

Off topic, but why are the blood types A,B,O...surely C would've been more logical?

I think O is ordinary (I could be wrong) and A & B variations. But I don’t actually know that ..

I'm O- and when I was giving blood last week they were telling me how desperately they were in need of it at my donor centre. Apparently O- stocks locally to me are incredibly low at the minute.