To think the NHS could do better if they are so desperate for blood?

[chickpea1982]

Apparently the NHS are desperate for blood at the moment. I have O negative blood, which is in particularly high demand. I've just tried, and failed, to find an appointment - not for the first time either. There is nothing near me for the rest of the year (I live in Surrey, not the depths of beyond). I have 3 kids and a job, so my availability is pretty limited anyway, but still - nothing?!

I'm told that they would offer priority appointments once I've had my first appointment and they have confirmed my blood type, which is just ridiculous. The NHS has records of my blood type already. And I can't get a first appointment!!

Also, you can't bring kids with you, even babies. That further restricts when I could go and how far I could go as I'd have to get someone else to look after the kids.

It's like they are making it intentionally hard! Surely they could do better if they are so desperate?

I'm on priority list as I have Ro blood. I try to go whenever it's local (which seems to be a couple times a year) last time I went, I was out the house 2.5 hours, was kept waiting an hour even though I was on time. I'm self employed and went on a working day, I really resented waiting that long in a work day, there was 0 urgency

This thread has prompted me to book too I'm O -ve and have never donated before but always meant to. Booked in now for 12th Nov about a mile away from my home. They did have apts in August but I'm away.

@Serencwtch your not wrong there. My nephew works for the NHS and says it should be renamed the National Waste Service. Public money gets thrown around like confetti

We saw the shit dead pool ad and my DH was like “that’s my reminder!” I can’t give blood.

14th October is the first slot he can get within a 5 mile radius and we live in London.

last time he donated it was at some clinic a 40 min drive and a 4.5 hr round trip

there is no WiFi so he can’t work there and his company made him take a retrospective half day

it’s amazing he keeps trying to donate despite the hurdles

insanity

Well that’s good. Shame it took them decades to do what was obviously the right thing.

Now if they’d just bring back the blood wagons, they’d find there’s plenty out there for them to have.

I brought my toddler with me before they changed the rules to no kids and it was a nightmare- I really wouldn't complain about the no kids rule, trust me you do not want them there!

I have not had much trouble making appointments so it must vary by area. A Shame because as you said they really need blood.

Interesting, I’m O- and been donating regularly for a couple of years. Can always get an evening appt, sometimes on the same day. Always pretty full clinics too.

must be the old postcode lottery at play - I’m in Bristol.

I didn't know that, I just assume donating blood was same process as giving a blood sample. I stand corrected! 😊

I didn't know that, I just assume donating blood was same process as giving a blood sample. I stand corrected! 😊

Yes I'm sure you and most other bloods donors would be happy for that specific information to be shared. It would be simple to add a box to the donor sign up form to give permission for accessing that data.

The next question is how do they access it? Do they hire someone to build a special IT interface? Bearing in mind all data has to be securely transferred with no risk of leak because it will contain patient-identifying details. In order to be useful this system will need to have permission to access lab systems or electronic patient records at every hospital in the UK, many of which are using different IT systems. The set up will need the support of hospital IT teams, all which are I assume on high alert at the moment because of the Russian cyber attack that more or less paralysed St Thomas's, Kings, Guys and other hospitals and resulted in patient data being sold on the dark Web. None of this will be fast or cheap, and it won't save them money in the long run because they will still need to check your blood type at every donation.

Alternatively they could pay clerical staff to phone or email the relevant hospital for each patient (assuming they know which hospital to phone) and manually log the data into their system. That would potentially be possible, only one of the main reasons you can't get an appointment at the moment is that NHSBT can't employ enough people to staff the donation sessions or provide back office support already. Probably partly because for roles not needing qualifications or prior experience the pay offered is less than ALDI pay for working on checkouts.

DH manages to book appointments fairly easily but he is able to just miss an hour of work and go during the day whenever suits. I think the No Children thing is fairly new, which is a shame because taking children along and them know the drill and seeing blood donation as the norm would be a really good thing.

In the past children were more well behaved at these kind of places. Sad but true. It is a different kettle of fish now. They have changed the rules for a reason.

If anyone is getting frustrated because they can't book advance appointments, I always used to find I could book a day or two before the session as people will cancel when they get the reminder.

Plasma donation is another option, if you happen to be near one of the three centres that exist (Birmingham, Reading, Twickenham). I am on plasma these days, and don't have any issues getting appointments.

NHS: "We are running short of blood! Especially Type O! Please donate!"
Donors: "We're on it! Where do we go?"
NHS: "We have no appointments for months, and we'll make them as inconvenient for you as possible if you work and have children."

Baffling.

This absolutely drives me mad, same as the HSE over here, why in this day & age is there not a central system which can access basic things like your blood type or whatever long term health problems you might have? It's so frustrating

The last 2 appointments I've had booked I've taken time off work to attend and they've cancelled the morning of. I would give up at this point but blood donation is so valuable- I agree there's plenty of obstacles that could be easily resolved with a bit of thought.

I agree. My work did a drive, following the plea from the NHS back in June. I've booked but my appt is end of Sept. They can't be that desperate!

This thread made me remember I should be giving blood again. I was a bit concerned things had all gone to cock since as I’ve never had an issue or. Cancelled appointment. Just gone onto the Welsh Blood website and booked for the beginning of September - I could have had one in August, just not days I could do. It’s in a van in a supermarket car park 5 mins from my house.
Maybe the Welsh system is better, despite some people thinking it’s a wasteland here after all the Labour rule…

I donate regularly and I find it a very easy process, they usually send a text a month before I'm due to donate, I go on the website and book an appointment, usually my choice of time on a Saturday morning. I go to a city centre donation centre which is about 2 miles from home, so that probably helps, but I just wanted to put the other side forward - all these stories of how difficult it is might put people off trying, but in some (lucky) areas it's quite easy.
If those who are able to donate got into the habit of donating regularly and booking their next appointment straight afterwards, the blood service would probably be better and more consistently stocked, and wouldn't have to put out emergency requests where everyone flocks to the site at once and tries to book an appointment at the same time causing these issues.

I had a blood transfusion after giving birth in 2005 and they won’t let me give blood now in case I have CJD as they can’t test donated blood for CJD.

So they could have given me CJD in the first place!

I work in the NHS and We get volunteer days at work when we can help in the community. Beach cleans, planting trees etc. Donating blood is one of the things that can be done. Maybe ask at work if this could be done on that basis so no kids need watched?

This. They have to make a risk assessment. I know for sure they wouldn't want my blood yet I still get people pestering me to "just check". There's no point me wasting an appointment. Someone getting a blood transfusion would feel mugged off if they got mine!

You don't need a day off to give blood!

Yup

I am O neg and have donated blood in the past. When I tried to donate recently the next appointment I could get to was 4 months away and then that got cancelled.