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.

They don't want my blood because I had a blood transfusion as a baby in the 80s. You would think it could be screened for any issues nowadays. I would love to be able to help.

Made me think of this old classic 😀🩸💉

While I have no reason to disbelieve you, anyone can claim to be anything on the internet…

I used to live near a drop in centre and there was also a van which came to my workplace and got you an hour's skive for a worthy cause. My veins are rubbish through and my blood nothing special. In the end they said it wasn't really worth coming as it was so hard to get any blood out of me.

They skewered a few veins in their time too, the bruises I had from that!

I’m O- so always in demand but I had such a horrible experience the first time I did it that I’ve never done it again. The nurse I had was so rude and aggressive, it put me off ever going back.

I used to donate at the " turn up and wait" sessions at university in the mid 80s. In the 90s, every time I tried to donate, the only sessions available were about 80 miles away. More recently, it has been very difficult to book an appointment locally - either all the slots go very quickly, or you have to commit months in advance, or appointments get cancelled.

Finally, last week, I managed to get a slot locally, only to "fail" the haemoglobin test and be sent away for a minimum of 12 months.

Like so many things, it's partly down to funding. The mobile vans were particularly expensive to run.

To be fair, I heard a very similar doom and gloom tale re incinerated whole blood donations from a colleague who also worked at NHS blood & transplant. I had hoped she was just being snarky so I ignored it, as I’ve been donating since I was 17 and now donate plasma (which at least can be frozen). There may be some truth in it…..

Of course, I've no reason whatsoever to lie about such thing though.

I've no idea how it's managed these days, but 20 years back the "shortage" thing referred to a situation whereby minimum stocks of rare types had fallen close to the government mandated minimum stock level. It didn't mean there was no actual blood available for clinical use, it just meant stock had hit a certain minimum threshold, and there was never any shortage of common types.

Ok ... So you don't have any evidence then...

I donated very easily and live in a major city, so used to donate regularly.

Then they removed the 2 centres I can get to, leaving me with a 30 minute walk and 45 minute bus ride each way, which isn't feasible really. I tried a few times, but several were cancelled and during the one appointment I managed to get to that ran, they were very rude to me about my self harm scaring; they usually are, but that time was outrageous. I don't donate anymore, it's too bloody hard and they're perpetually unpleasant.

What evidence are you expecting me to produce from somewhere I stopped working 20+ years back?

I'm just telling you what standard practice was back then, and what a "shortage" actually meant. It's quite possible practices have changed in the time since, however I doubt it very much because whole blood always has a limited shelf life.

I user to be a prolific donor. I have done blood, platelets, plasma. I did have two breaks as I was banned due to getting tattoos, but otherwise I steadily donated from turning 18. My family all give blood (or/and plasma/platelets), right from my grandparents. Lots of my family have awards for donations (I would have too, if not for the breaks).

I always did it by appointment. However, I also took breaks to have ivf, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I recently looked into doing it again. I have moved and here it is all drop on and wait. I am just not going to do that with a toddler.

They need to make it easy. I would do it again, but I feel that I did a lot over 17 years. At this point, I am not going to mad lengths with childcare etc. I really struggle to get a haircut!!

I live in London and donate at the blood donation centre near Oxford Circus. I just logged on and there are open spots every day this week including tomorrow. I don’t recall there being appointments so soon the last few times I have looked. So I think the shortage is genuine.

I got a text message this morning saying I could just drop in this week. But I can’t donate right now as I am waiting for blood tests to check my haemoglobin has improved after being turned away from giving blood in December as it was too low. If my blood results are ok in July I will be back to give blood as soon as I can get an appointment.

They used to have local donation centres that were appointments and drop in all over the town by me probably every 6 months - I looked online the other night to see if there was one i
could go to, I had to stop due to a burst vein in my arm years ago. The closest donation point / appointment 25 miles away in September! That is why their short of blood lack of places/times to donate x

Agree. After being a loyal donor since I was 17yrs old, after being treated appallingly at my last two appointments, I now have stopped donating.

And yes, I agree, getting appointments became so much more difficult in the last few years that I donated. Then the last minute cancellations AFTER already having driven many miles to the appointment etc.!

Yep sessions last time I looked were weeks and months away. Also, years ago when I started donating they were much more relaxed about finding a suitable vein - as in, if they didn’t get it straight away they’d keep trying, or try the other arm. Now they just look at my arms, tell me they aren’t confident of getting it first time and won’t even try. Still get a biscuit though so not all bad! We have mutually agreed it’s best I retire as a donor. I’ve banked 20 donations so whilst disappointed I’m happy to have done what I can.

I heard that if you have a rare blood type they are low on and call them up they might be able to fast track you an appointment, but not 100% sure about that!

They seriously incinerated it??? Oh my goodness, that boils my blood (pardon the pun). Makes me feel better for having stopped donating.

As i teen i just used to go along to drop in sessions. They were in town and it was really easy.

Its definitely harder now, they want you to donate in city centres but that's not where people live and employers these days expect people to be hyper productive, you can't get away with going during working hours! There need to be evening & weekend sessions in suburban areas where lots of people live.

Thank you to anyone who has been persevering - you're keeping my family member and others alive.

For balance, No issues with my local donation team here. Pleasant, efficient, appointments til 8pm, in and out in 30 mins and two choc bars! Not in a city.

I had a bad experience last year.

There were plenty of appointments available near me, even at weekends which surprised me. The reception staff were lovely and welcoming but the nurse or whoever it was who was reviewing my forms and asking me questions was awful! So rude! She treated me like I shouldn't be there, as though I was asking her for a kidney, not trying to donate my own blood!

My appointment was at 12pm and by then I'd had just over one litre of water that day, I'd had a small glass of orange juice with breakfast and about half of the pint of water I was given to drink in the waiting room. She scolded me for not drinking enough water. I apologised and asked how much water I should have drank by 12pm, she wouldn't tell me, just kept saying I hadn't had anywhere near enough water. I explained I wasn't told how much water I needed to drink when I booked the appointment. She said I can't donate when I'm dehydrated (I bloody wasn't dehydrated!) She stood up and directed me out of the little room we were in. I asked how much water I'd need to drink roughly so I'd know for next time, she wouldn't tell me, just said plenty. She had such a bad attitude.

I made a complaint when I got home. Such a waste of my time. There's no reason why they can't provide some kind of guidance on how much water to drink when booking the appointment. What's with the secrecy? What the hell is "plenty" supposed to mean? I thought I'd drank quite a lot that day for someone who is only short and slim but I'd have drank more if I'd known - but how much more? I'm not Psychic Sally!

That's the longwinded way of saying it's really put me off going again. I used to donate years ago and it was a really positive atmosphere, I never had anyone telling me off or being rude to me.

What questions do they ask you when you're there?

The most convenient place to me to donate blood doesn't have any available appointments until almost 3 months away. End of August. Bit insane considering they're always saying they need donations.

Medical history, such as past surgeries
Medication

I think they were the main ones

We used to have the same, we signed up through work, really convenient and all the slots were taken. It stopped during covid and never started again. Now I'd have to go into the city centre to donate which I can only do at the weekend and can never find a slot.