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?

That's also incredibly hard. I'm an anaesthetist and would happily volunteer for free. I've rang and offered twice and they've never bothered to ring back

Years ago there was a blood bus that was in my town constantly and you could just turn up to donate , now I'd have to get a train and a bus to the nearest 1 and it's appointments only and they apparently don't have any til 12 weeks away . I'm O- and I can't donate even though they are desperate because they have made it too difficult

The issue is there remains 5 major hospitals (including a major trauma centre) still unable to cross match blood due to the cyberattack. Meaning we have to use universal group O blood for every single transfusion so we are using way more than normal (think I've given 40units of blood out in my last 3 shifts alone

There are no smaller local collection points in my area. I used to always give blood until I had kids and then when I tried to restart I couldn’t find any where within 10 miles of my house and I don’t live rurally.

I had a phone call last week asking me to donate again and I couldn’t get an appointmwnt before the end of Nov.

I left without having given any blood last time as the staff member seemed really inexperienced and after failing to get blood from three different places she gave up and told me to go home! My veins aren’t massively visible, but they are ok and there’s never been an issue in the past.

I easily got an appointment to donate two weeks in the future, but I need to go to another nearby city to do it.

Thanks for explaining. So they do still need lots. I guess the donor service isn't easily able to scale up for such situations, so my other comment still stands - that the issue is people unable to donate rather than unwilling

So I just wanted to remind myself when my next donation is. I've got an appointment already. I had to queue to get onto the App - they need to improve the App before they go on a drive. If the service can't cope with increased demand that they have encouraged it will put people off.
You should at least be able to get to the website if you just want to look at your page.

Anyway, I last donated in May, so I can do so again in another month. However, the only appointment I could get was in Nov (which I booked a few weeks ago before this demand), which is 3 months later than I could donate.

I must say that my experience when I donate is always very, very good. The staff are very friendly and professional and pretty much keep to time.
They sometimes struggle to get my donation (vein collapses or the flow is too slow), but are always lovely about it and try everything.

@Destiny123
Thank you for volunteering
However taking blood donations is not as straightforward as it seems. A blood donation is classified as an intravenous drug, and there are strict SOPs for its collection for safety of donor and recipient , and for screening donors regarding previous medical history, recent travel, medications, medical procedures etc. All of which may pose a risk to donors or recipients. The SOPs oftenchange weekly or even daily, especially with tropical disease prevalence and possible exposure to malaria, Chik V, T Cruzi and outbreaks throughout the world. It’s not as simple as an HCP rocking up and sticking a needle in someone’s arm. NHSBT have specialist haematology consultants on call during donation sessions as risk assessment of donors can be very complex for their own health and that of recipients.

I've had two entire sessions cancelled back to back.

After each cancellation they sent me an email telling me how they're desperate for donors. They might find themselves less desperate if they didn't keep cancelling

I'm in Scotland. And ever since the appointment t system moved online a few years ago, it's been really easy to book an appointment. Lots of availability. However, the appointment times are infinite! It regularly takes 2 hours because they get backed up as the day goes on. All the waiting makes me want to pull my hair out.

I agree - I used to give regularly. I had a silver badge so I think that probably means I donated at least 25 times. I used to be able to walk to a church hall about 10 minutes away. Just turn up sometime in the 3-4 hours they would be there and donate. Yes, sometimes you had a bit of a wait but you expected that.

Then they stopped that and I had to go to my local hospital which is a 30 minute walk away - a bit more of a hike but again happy to do that. They closed that centre down, supposedly temporarily but it never opened again, so I stopped donating.

Reading this thread prompted me to look at donating again. Like other posters, no appointments available until November and even then my nearest centre is apparently 9.4 miles away! And I live in a big city of around 300 000 people. Crazy!

It's just awful, the appointment system. I can't donate for medical reasons but my mum gave blood as often as she could in my childhood (every 3 months or something the van came to a local church hall. She donated for at least 30 years - appointment system cane in and never did again.

I’ve had this a few times - I now just get over my fear of seeming precious 🤣 and tell them at the start that they need someone very confident to dig for my veins. They always have a vein ninja who has no issue.

My last two appointments have been cancelled so I've not donated for nearly a year, and now I'm anaemic I couldn't book anyway

If your veins collapsed they won't keep trying. Usually they do go and get a vein ninja (copied from a PP) but IME they're usually pretty good.
I think if there's any indication they won't get a donation they won't keep trying.

This is interesting to know so thank you for posting this @Destiny123. I'm o neg and have donated for years but as others have said getting an appointment is difficult sadly.

I'm A - and a registered donor who has not given blood since before the pandemic because I can't find appointments within 15 miles for 6-9 months and when I do the appointments have now been cancelled 3 x.

But please try if you can!

I received a donation, it saved my life so now I can't give blood and I so wish I could.

They stopped coming to this area for a couple of years, then contacted me to say they were coming next week. I booked an appointment but have had it cancelled as I’m now awaiting a blood test for perimenopause!

The west end donor centre is absolutely fab and I’ve never not been able to get an appointment that suited me!!

I have given over 75 donations but stopped donating pre COVID when very abruptly and with no warning sessions were stopped in our village. These were always very busy sessions. It was impossible to book sessions in our nearest town, always full. Me, my DH and a fair few friends stopped donating. Due to the recent publicity re shortages I decided to try again.... nothing anywhere near until late October 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I book my next appointment as I sit drinking after I have just donated.
I never struggle to get an appointment.
I don't limit myself to one venue though, I am happy to travel to donate.

I'm in South Yorkshire and signed up yesterday (never donated before but know I'm O+) - got an appointment for 7 August. There were earlier appointments but I couldn't make them work with my job. I had no idea that other places were so booked up!

Same here, Im new to it as I had a medical issue but now can donate, i was in a queue for about 30-40 mins then couldn’t get an appointment, surely it shouldn’t be this difficult to give away blood! Has it always been like this?

They did have the vans but it just wasn't cost effective compared to locations where they can be taking blood from 5-6 people at once. That changed a good 10 years or so ago.