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.

Excellent point. I suggest you write a letter mentioning that to a few of the pertinent people.
I once had such an annoying experience that I just stopped, cold, for years.

I’ve managed to book an appointment for October (!), pretty easily and locally. How strict are they re weight? I’m under 7st 12lb. I’m very small of stature too, I’m in proportion and a healthy BMI etc, just my build.

I'd love to give blood but as I'm a rare blood group they've never wanted it :(

It seems there aren't as many places to donate anymore. At the University they used to hold regular sessions, they don't anymore.

Working in a large teaching hospital with thousands of workers, many of whom realise the importance of donating blood and close to another Trust down the road, they don't hold any donation sessions either.

It's crazy when they could have a target audience of working age (cut off age ?65) on their doorstep as potential donors, but don't hold sessions where there may be a good opportunity.

How annoying but this sums up my experience of the system it is just overly complicated. You would think large hospitals would have blood donor clinics near the front door. Captive audience and all that.

I just don't get it about the rude medical staff.

I don't know about 'burn out' for the staff - surely it's not as hard as dealing with patients in a normal hospital job!? They are paid, aren't they?

Where on earth do they get off being rude to people who are going out of their way to try and donate, for free? It's weird because hospital nurses are generally lovely, although they must be under far more pressure.

Hopefully we're talking about a minority though. But I think donors should complain if this happens.

Mobile unit staff were endlessly complained about decades ago, so it doesn't surprise me to hear they are still much the same. I can only put it down to the fact that because they are self-contained unit away from central management, they tend to run as their own little fiefdoms and you get the same defensiveness and disregard for "the rules" you get in all departments that go a bit rogue. It's also quite a long day given that they probably head out at 7 or 8am, can still be taking donations at 5pm, then have to pack up and head home.

FWIW they were a notorious pain in the arse to deal with internally as well.

I’m so sorry that people have been treated badly when they have been doing a wonderful thing. In Australia our blood banks are open on weekends and after hours (some days), plus we have donation buses that go to shopping centres, outlying areas, etc. I know the NHS is running rough atm but donated blood is a life-saving product with no viable alternative. It has short “use-by” dates and supplies must be continually cycled. In the 21st century, it’s madness to think that they can’t adjust their work hours to suit the general public.

I have great veins and am B-

I believe a useful blood group?

I have meant to do it forever but having had pregnancies and also anaemia and generally been ‘off’ since Covid never got round to it.

This thread does not inspire confidence! 🤔

I donate but I'm retired now so not affected by working hours . I agree its quite difficult to donate . My blood type is the least useful AB+ so often they dont even let me book an appointment because it's not very useful but surely they could use it for blood products freeing up the useful blood ? It's is annoying and frustrating when you just want to do something helpful - so I agree .

My last 3 appointments over 2 years were cancelled and there was no where local to rearrange them for (within 15 miles) I live in a densely populated area not in the middle of nowhere. Literally can't give it away! I'm now anaemic anyway

Some areas are more difficult than others, we have moved to a region where there are plenty of appointments and waiting times aren't long, very different to where we used to live. I was devastated when I had to stop after 72 donations for health reasons, my blood was often used for neo natal care. Yes, it takes time and commitment to donate, but I wish I still could. My husband and children are long term donors, I'm proud of them and hope my granddaughters join the family tradition.

Also lots of people can't donate. When I went last year (then Hb low anyway in the end) they were very careful to check what area of France I'd been to on holiday as there was a risk of Dengue fever.

Then I've had to pause donations for surgery, dental treatment and endoscopy.

There were years when no appointment would've been convenient with work/young children. Then in 2021 three sessions in a row were cancelled.

I still have 20 donations but started 25 years ago and there are big gaps, more recently two a year, then Hb too low for the last two. Leaving it more than a year in between this time due to family circumstances plus if I get three low Hb in a row I have to stop entirely.

I’ve been turned away (after waiting an hour and for appointments that have to be booked months in advance) the last 3 times I’ve tried for ridiculous reasons.

Nothing near me till November

I think one of their problems is with their digital systems- the marketing department (“please book an appointment asap. Urgent need for blood donors”) doesn’t talk to their operations team (“sorry no appointments available”, “your nearest appointment is 100miles away on a Tuesday at 8am”, “we don’t accept you for x reason”). I think that’s what’s causing the problem, not lack of people willing to donate

Bring back mobile units to workplaces and village halls and make it easy to donate and a community event- as it used to be

I live in SE London and have never encountered a rude staff member when donating. No trouble booking, but admittedly I do book the next appointment as soon as I have donated.

I’ve been trying for years.
Looking at possible locations - plenty within 20 min drive.
Trying to book - a handful of slots over the next 3-6 months, at least 60 min drive away (including traffic).
They must be completely booked up, so where does it all gi?

It’s interesting those who say they could only donate by going into a city centre - I have the opposite problem! I work in a city centre and assumed there must be somewhere nearby I could pop out to and donate but no, there’s no donor locations in the city centre. There’s a fancy donation centre but it’s out on the outskirts so I can’t get to it (I get the train to work so don’t have a car there. I could go by bus but it would take so long I would have to take time off work - but going to work is the only reason I’m in that city!).

I do donate in my home town but for that I have to go into the town centre which is a massive pain as the traffic’s always bad. There is a community hall very near me which is on the list of donation centres but whenever I click on it, it always says there’s no appointments available.

Never had any issues with rude staff though, they’ve always been very nice at my place.

I treat blood donors as me time 🤣
I book anywhere within an 45 minute radius, I do live very rurally, the day after I have donated and the app has been updated.
Last time I went, I was in and out within 30 minutes but sometimes it can be an hour and a half.

I did pause donating when my dh worked away as I didn't have childcare and it just wouldn't have worked.
I am on donation 58 and will always give up however much time it takes to donate for as long as I can.

I’ve had a blood transfusion and I feel so sad that I’m not able to return the amazing ‘gesture?’ because of the policy of not allowing recipients to donate. I think it’s to do with the BSE fallout but I would love to donate to give back and help other people in a similar situation to me. I’d donate as often as possible.

I’ve tried again to book - i’m in hampshire (surrey border). As usual, the system wants to send me to east london.
That would be 15 min to get to the station, 45min train, 30 min tube. With waiting time, 2 hours each way. plus the time for the actual donation (and train delays), that’s a full day off and just under £50 (weekday of course….). all booked months in advance when i don’t know my work schedule yet.
That’s not a minor inconvenience, it’s close to impossible!
I have to conclude they don’t want or need donations

there is now a permanent Centre opposite Brixton tube. Could you try going there?

It's because the locations have a session every 4 months - which is how long you need to wait between donations.

I must be lucky because my sessions never get cancelled and I always book far enough in advance that I can get an evening slot.

I used to donate all the time, including when it was a total PITA such as being kept waiting over an hour past your appointment.

Had to stop when I got pregnant. This was around the time they must have done a huge marketing drive because suddenly I was getting a ridiculous amount of phone calls from call centre staff asking me to donate. I explained to the first couple of callers I was pregnant and couldn't, they said they'd update my file so I wouldn't be called anymore. The calls and voicemails continued and one time I received 4 missed calls in one day. I totally lost my temper and phoned back to demand they immediately removed my details from the system, I understand it's very important but they cannot phone people repeatedly and harass them to give blood. They were apologetic but I couldn't be dealing with it anymore. I don't have a rare blood type and when I googled appointments out of interest near me there was nothing for about 6 weeks.

I donated 3 times in my early 20s at a community centre drop-in set up. I have a small build and wasn't much above the minimum weight. 3 times I went woozy after so they told me to come back when I'd gained some weight. That took some time!

I haven't been back because I moved area, and I've never found a convenient session to go to. With the risk of going woozy again, I am particular about the practicalities of travel for safety reasons.