Donating blood is not made easy for people

[Floogal]

Listening to today's news, regarding the severe shortages of blood stocks and the call to get more donors has got me thinking.

https://www.itv.com/news/2025-06-09/nhs-calls-for-an-extra-200000-blood-donors-as-stocks-run-low

They don't exactly make it easy for people to donate as sessions are often at inconvenient times and places (week days and working hours when most people are working). And as a former donor myself, I was often made to feel that they were doing me a favour by letting me donate. Not forgetting the cancelled sessions.

I’m a rare blood group, however I have awkward veins in my arm - absolutely fine anywhere else, but they are only allowed to take blood at a specific point so I’m not allowed to donate. They regularly message me asking to make appointments though!

They need to combine it with another service, waiting to see the doctor perhaps!

My dh donates but getting an appointment is hard and locations are only accessible by car, usually at least 10 miles away. Why they can bring a mobile unit to our town every 4-6 months I do not understand. Make it easy to donate and make it an event people want to be part of, local businesses would get involved if they knew a steady stream of donors are coming past too

I wished could donate, I used to it I'm not allowed now.

Although I think I can donate platelets, so I'll look into that.

It's over an hour away travel for me to the nearest centre, which is a city location. Even then, very limited appointments. It would cost about £20 in travel fares which I could afford but not everyone else could spare that.

One of my parents worked in the defence industry in the 80s and said that they all had to give blood regularly (not sure how true that was, I might have the wrong end of the stick). Seems like a good idea to have vans going to workplaces with a large number of workers. I wonder why that ended?

I'm not able to donate. DH is able and willing, but it's really hard to book a usable appointment. If they had mobile vans and a sensible schedule they'd have way more donors.

That's a brilliant idea

They used to come to the Civic Centre where I work but that stopped long before Covid, don't know why, it was a good way to get donations.
The van used to be at the Sunderland Air Show too but that's something else that no longer exists..!

I was a regular donor until a couple of years ago when the sessions were moved from a hall within walking distance in one small town, to a village hall in the middle of nowhere, with no public transport. I don't have access to a car during office hours, and guess what, they cut the evening sessions as well. They keep calling me as I'm in the system, and frequently text me on the day to offer appointments. Still can't get there, sorry. I mean, technically I could take half the day to get several badly timed buses to a different location, and the other half hoping to get home before the buses stop for the night altogether, but given the risk of last minute cancellation I don't see that happening.
I too miss the days when you just showed up and waited your turn. There must be some rationale for the change, but I'm struggling to imagine what it might be. Certainly every donor I speak to has similar concerns.

Eh? They wouldn't be rushing out at 3am trying to find a donor. It would make no difference to you in that scenario if the donor had been offered an evening or weekend slot... except of course maybe there would be more blood in stock.

It’s no better organised in Canada. For quite some years I couldn’t donate as I’m English and a mad cow (lol). They relaxed the rules recently but my nearest donation centres are a 5 hour drive.

When I was young I remember there used to be a mobile van that came to our village a couple of times a year and when I first started work they'd arrange for a van to come to the car park. I've got sought after blood (couldn't think of a better way to phrase that 😄) and if it was still like this I'd gladly donate but they've made it such hard work.

There used to be pop up donation centres near workplaces but now it would mean best part of a day off to get to the hospital and a fortune in bus fares or car park.

I used to donate blood but it was always a faff trying to get a convenient appointment, then one day they rang and asked if I would donate Plasma instead as the could see that I lived near one of the donation centres.

There are only 3 plasma centres in England and I find it far easier to donate this instead of blood. Details are on the Blood App and website.

After 25 donations, I’ve given up. If anyone at Blood Donation is reading this here is why:

after trying to get an appt for 2 years I attended my timed appt and waited over an hr to give blood. The donation technician blew the vein 1st try. No probs. Then told me he ‘wasn’t allowed’ to try again due to time constraints and had to put a ball of cotton wool and surgical tape on my arm. I declined, explaining:

1. he had missed the vein, ergo, no blood.
2. i’m intolerant of surgical tape

the charge nurse was called over, told me I was causing a fuss and said my arm would need a full compression bandage. I said no, the vein blew. There is no blood, he missed it. No dressing needed. It was the most hostile encounter I’ve ever had. I’m barely scratching the surface of it.

I believe there is a huge cultural issue at blood donation uk - the staff aren’t very nice.

I’ve given up - and as the wife of a man who received over 30 units of blood products, I was determined to pay it back. It’s impossible.

I'm really lucky that my local centre is just outside the city and has free parking. I sometimes have to wait a while before I can get a convenient appointment time but I've never been cancelled and the staff are always lovely and chatty. I get a text after to thank me and another to tell me where my donation has gone.

We did used to have a van come to work which was very convenient but it went a long time ago. I assume they're too expensive to run and maintain.

I used to donate when it was easy, when they came to the local village hall and you could book or turn up and wait. I had a bad experience where my arm was covered in a bruise bigger than my palm and then they made you go to the town 20 minutes over with minimal appointment times. So although I'd like to donate it's too inconvenient.

Exactly the same. I'm tricky to bleed and have given up as I've had them be quite unpleasant to me and one even said to stop coming!

The nurse at the GP practice manages it fine.

I've not donated in years. We used to have a van that came to work but that stopped, then the drop in at the local church hall stopped. Tried to get an appointment last year but the only location is in the city centre (10 miles away), I was absolutely hounded by phone calls trying to get me to book despite me explaining that the times they offered were impossible. My FIL gave every time he could, he was even part of the trial for increased frequency but he's pretty much given up now as it's so difficult to get an appointment.

I had my flu shot in a mobile unit outside work and had my last smear test done in mobile van on ASDA carpark, I'm not sure why they can't make giving blood more accessible.

Lástima time i went i had to wait an hour to dónate. They were so busy and i felt like an inconvenience, so not been since. But seeing the news this morning i will book in again.

2 cancelled sessions in the last couple of months

My point is that I would expect to receive a transfusion anytime and so I should be prepared to give blood at a time which may inconvenience me slightly.

It is such an important thing to do that a bit of inconvenience pales into insignificance.

Used to donate but got diagnosed with cancer so I'm out unfortunately. Always found it easy and reliable in Hampshire though.

The comparison really isn't logical but OK, that's your opinion.

I donate regularly and am lucky to have no problems at all donating - I go to a city centre donation centre that is open on Saturdays, you can get half price parking, the staff are really lovely and I book my next appointment whilst having my cup of tea afterwards. Usually in and out in about 40 minutes.