To ask if anyone else can't donate blood due to their type?

[Glowup33333]

I've searched for an appointment between now and December 2025, even 2 hours away and there is nothing.
I am AB+ which apparently is a rare type that not many people can receive, so there is low demand for my blood. I donated a couple of years ago but I've been trying for a long time to get an appointment to no avail.
I'm eligible to donate plasma, but my nearest centre is 3 hours away (only 3 in the country) and I was told I may be refused at the appointment due to my weight not being what they required, so it didn't seem worth the risk.

It's a shame but not much I can do, has anyone else had this?

I too am on a 3 month ban for low haemoglobin. I had no idea so many people got told this till I read this thread.

@Emus and others - what are you doing to try to up your haemoglobin? I am taking a multivitamin which has 100% of my iron requirements plus trying to up my protein, pulses and spinach.

I also enjoyed crisps and a mint club after my last donation - south east - it was like revisiting my childhood!

I wasn’t able to donate blood when I arrived in Canada as I was deemed a risk from Mad Cow Disease. They have recently removed that requirement but my nearest donation centre is a 4.5 hour drive.

I can’t donate because I’ve had a transfusion - it’s frustrating, as I’d like to give back. I am B+ and was given B+, so it isn’t O for everyone.

I'm B- too. So is my sister. She lives in the Chanel Islands and is a teacher and on 3 separate occasions she has received a call at school asking her to come to give blood immediately if she can because they have run out of or have very low stock of B- blood.

Like you I'm taking a multivitamin- I may also start taking some Floradix liquid too for good measure! In November my ferritin was still below normal so I'm not hopeful.

Also O- and on 72 donations, so 3 away from emerald, get calls/texts/emails/letters. I've always found appointments extremely easy to obtain but maybe because I'm in London. Strongly encourage anyone who can.

There is a minimum weight - it's there for a reason. What a stupid suggestion to lie about the weight only to donate blood even if (by the sound of it) OP's weight is too low. why would you do that???

I lived very near a donation centre for about 10 years but they told me not to come back cause my veins like to object to all but the smallest needles. Really annoying because all the woman I my family have anemia and low blood pressure except me. I only have A+ anyway but walking past their massive signs everyday was annoying.

I registered a while ago and had a call last week and am booked to go today for my first donation, I am A+.

It is world cancer day today. My daughter has cancer and has had numerous blood transfusions and a couple of plasma transfusions. A big thank you to all the donors out there that have kept her alive.

I've not donated before because I am scared of needles and canulas. But after what I have seen her go through there is no excuse.

I'm O- but live outside the UK. I can't give blood because I'm considered a risk of mad cow disease, having lived in the UK in the 90s!

I've tried donating blood across the years, but never had enough iron. The last time they told me.not to try again. It was my highest level, after months of iron tablets and vitamin c with iron rich foods. I guess.some people just have naturally lower iron levels.

I'm same as you OP, AB+

I used to donate fairly regularly until suddenly there were no appointments available.

It annoyed me that they never just said they don't need my blood anymore, it was only when I emailed them thinking there was an error on the app that they told me it wasn't them, it was me 🤣

Subsequently they have written to me to tell me that they will be back in touch when they need me again.

Fully aware I could buy my own orange club biscuits but they just taste better after a donation!

Wow, @MaxJLHardy , 72 donations! Impressive!

I also find appointments reasonably easy to get. I'm not in London but in the north east. I do think there is quite a lot of regional variation. Luckily, though, your donations can go out of area if that is where the need is, which must mitigate the effects of smaller availability of appointments in some places.

To all of you who can't give blood, or who have showed up and been turned down for one or another reason, you are still doing your bit. Because there are so many factors that prevent individuals from donating, the system relies on as many people as possible coming forward so that they can find within that crowd the subset whose blood they can use. Being willing and making yourself available is a donation (of time, of active concern) in itself.

Also AB+. It is known as selfish blood, we can use virtually everyone else's and only AB+ can use ours.

I’ve received a blood transfusion in an emergency, and at the time the staff were shocked that I received a full match. Apparently it rarely happens.

Oh my goodness!!

Mad Cow Disease is the reason that people in the UK who have had blood transfusions are not able to donate blood, as it is not possible to pick up vCJD in screening tests. I'd love to donate as.i had transfusion after first birth but cannot unfortunately.

I don't think PP is suggesting she lie.
My understanding is that a PP was told she may not weigh enough and other PP wondered why they don't tell her what the weight needs to be so she knows whether she can donate or not, rather than just wondering.

Same here. Been donating since I was 17 and now 54.
BP is always fine, but they struggle with a good vein at times. They're no longer allowed to try a second vein or the other arm.
When I was on my third and final session before being struck off if they failed I got a donor nurse who absolutely was NOT going to be defeated!

No because I can't donate because I'm one of those AB+ve people who needed a blood transfusion

So thank you for donating

It's on the NHS Blood service website -

"Men can give blood every 12 weeks and women can give blood every 16 weeks.
This is because men generally have higher iron levels than women."

Same, I have tricky veins and they won’t try more than once, so unless I get someone very skilled it’s game over. I’ve given up, it was such a waste of my time. I’m B+ so they’re not that bothered about having my blood anyway.

I was part of the Interval Study which was a huge study checking whether the current gaps were really necessary. It found that you could safely go more frequent, especially for larger people with decent iron stores. They decided not to change the current practice, but I guess they can hold it up their sleeves in case of emergency - if
, say, they find a ghastly pathogen in French and Spanish drinking water and have to disbar anyone who's travelled there in the last ten years.

But the proposal would be to take women down to 12 weeks and men down to 8 week, rather than equalising.

Women can donate plasma
https://www.blood.co.uk/news-and-campaigns/news-and-statements/new-female-friendly-plasma-machines-will-enable-more-lifesaving-d

I spent a month before the appointment taking high dose iron tablets and was fine. 💪💪

No I'm O+ so in demand but my veins are so rubbish that I have a 50% success rate for actually giving a full bag of blood so last time I went they said I'd "done my bit" ie don't bother again 😂