To think I shouldn’t have to take time off work to donate blood?

[Namechange202323]

I’m a regular donor. Used to be able to get local appointments after work - as late as 8pm, or even take a long lunch when WFH for a ‘medical appointment’.

now it’s impossible to get a convenience appointment anywhere near where I live or work, very few mobile sessions available and those that are are fully booked. I can’t book for 2024 as slots aren’t out that far in advance. The only slot I can get is at 2pm in the afternoon and would take 2 hours to get there, say 90 mins there, so I’d need to take at least a half day holiday. AIBU to think there should be more availability or weekend slots? I’ve been having this issue for a year or so meaning I’ve been unable to donate as regularly as I just don’t have the leave.

I used to be a regular donor, but they don't come to my (admittedly quite rural) area any more. I can't take a day off work to go so I just don't do it anymore.

I struggle and I work part time, latest appointment is about 5pm, luckily they moved to the leisure centre which is closer for me, otherwise I think I would have stopped. Where I work they used to have them come in but that was a while ago, don't know how hard that is to arrange? Or even if it's possible anymore

I’m o-, got a call and voicemail the other day as they need donors desperately- went to book and next appt is October 🤯

Same. They’ve a new venue near my workplace but I can’t get an appointment there as I haven’t been for so long. I haven’t been for so long as there’s nowhere convenient.

mine have picked up recently
although the staff themselves were a bit annoyed at being more available in one area as so many donors were new, therefore took more time

My employer isn’t large enough to warrant them coming to us unfortunately - but that sounds ideal!

Maybe they should spend less time phoning people to harass them with sales talk and more time actually taking blood. 🤷‍♀️ I wouldn't sign up if I was also signing up to be sporadically emotionally blackmailed by randomers.
There used to be a big lorry sort of thing that came to our town. It doesn't, now.

It seems to be a similar story for many people I know.

Same issue here, I am also O negative and happy to donate but can't get a convenient/nearby appointment.
I did email them and asked them to consider running a session in my local village hall but had a reply saying they didn't see any need to 🙄

It's frustrating when they put out appeals saying they're desperate for O negative blood yet have no appointments available which won't take a couple of hours to get there and back.

I gave blood after work yesterday at a local donation centre (medium sized city). Appointment was made on phone last week (they called me). It's a couple of miles from my home but has free parking and I was out within an hour.

Today I got a email to book my next donation which I did online for same place, weekday evening in November.

I hadn't donated for years as could never get a time/location that worked but it seems better now, around here at least.

They can't be that desperate for donations or they would make it easier to do.

I have up after they introduced having to book. I have no idea where I'm going to be in X amounts of months time and then have the honour of waiting for an hour after your time slot to donate. I much preferred just being able to go and donate when I could.

Exactly the same scenario, o neg being called/emailed sometimes twice a week only to repeat myself over and over again trying to explain that the 5 venues locally have no appointments after 2pm.

Rules out anyone with no childcare after school hours. Surely it would be common sense to have varying hours, unless there is some reason I am missing. Very frustrating!

YANBU - I've not given blood since they removed the walk in sessions. I just don't know in advance the days I'm going to be able to leave work early, unless I book it as leave.

I can always get an appointment for my soonest donation date because I work very near a permanent centre and go on my lunch hour, but what frustrates me is that women can only give every 16 weeks in England, men can give every 12 weeks. In Scotland it’s 12 weeks for women too. It can’t be a scientific thing or it would be the same across the board, so it’s pointless and it means they miss out on at least one donation per year that women like me would be perfectly willing and able to give.

I also don’t like that they’ve just banned children from going. Part of the reason I’m very committed to donating is because I grew up being taken to the centre every 12 weeks. In those days they actively accommodated children with snacks, colouring in etc and they were always so lovely to me, I couldn’t wait to be old enough to donate myself and I’d really like to normalise it for my own kids. Plus ruling out anyone who can’t get childcare for it is just stupid - I’d be willing to bet people on average become more pro-donation when they have children. They certainly feel free to use children in their emotive marketing material.

No idea why 20% have voted YABU

I worked for government in US and we got time off to donate and after donating we got 4 hours off free. I would donate at lunch and then off the rest of the day.

It’s not just o neg - I’m a different blood group, nothing super rare or useful, and I’m also getting frequent calls. I’m always about 50/50 on whether I pass the iron test and am taking a break to allow my iron to recover, have explained this but they still call. It’s annoying and off putting tbh, please employ less call centre staff and use the money to employ bank nurses to take the blood (I believe shortage of nurses is why so few appointments).

Surprised by this. I work full time and am allowed to give blood during work hours without needing leave.

I've given up after having appointments cancelled after I've arrived and on those occasions they've not been cancelled being made to wait an hour past my appointment time before being called. I go with my DH as I don't like to drive afterwards (a 30 Min drive for us). Both times i was cancelled (A+) DH wasn't (O+) so I sat there in the donation room not giving blood waiting for him. I still get the begging phone calls and emails though.

Another O negative who gets lots of calls but they stopped using my town as a place for donations and it now involves a 20 mile round trip and even then the evening slots are taken. Not sure why it's so hard to give blood now.

Same problem here, I'm B+ which is apparently in demand and keep getting contacted but then there's no appts anywhere. None of it is helped by the fact that my veins hide and try to make things difficult so about half the time if I can actually get an appt, they don't find the vein in the one and only attempt they're allowed to make. I do find it a bit baffling that if I go for a blood test at the doctors they can stab me umpteen times until I'm covered in bruises, but if I go to a donation centre it's 1 try only.

There are certainly fewer sessions these days. I've just booked for December. And we're in a large town.

I would approve that, if that’s the only venue they can offer. Years ago we used to have a blood van come to the work car park. Not seen it in years now. I can’t donate anymore since I had a transfusion after a major surgery.

I know the system isn't perfect but please if you can, keep donating blood. I use the app, and book my next appt as soon as I've donated, usually around 3 months later.
I guess I'm lucky in that there are early evening slots near where I live, and regular sessions, but the first time I went back after a gap, I had to wait 6 months due to no available appts.
I've donated 27 pints so far, with gaps for pregnancies, living overseas, pneumonia and then three failed donations due to not meeting their iron levels - frustrating. I now eat raw spinach all day before donating, it works a treat!
I'm glad I've persisted, will keep donating until I no longer can.