Donating blood

Off-topic
1

I used to donate blood a few years back, but then I had an operation where i received a blood transfusion and now I can’t, as a result.

I know that this is because of safety measures relating to my potentially having received bad blood, but I still want to give and think this is one of the most charitably effective donations one can give. I mean no fat cat charity squeeze is gonna really get hold of anything I donate are they…

Anyway, why can I not just have some simple test to get me allowed back on the register?! Im a common blood group, so it’s not like it HAS to be me or anything, but every little helps, right?!

Surely there are lots of people out there like me who want to put back into the system.

What can we do!?

2

Good thinking Batman:cool:

There may be a testing thingy, try contacting the Blood Transfussion Service

I used to give blood regularly but gave up after a particularly vicious doctor left me battered and bruised.

Still got my blue card though:D

I’m B+ve

3

I spoke to them a couple of years ago and they said that there wasn’t anything I could do and that there were no plans to do a test… :crying:

4

Isn’t it ironic that on the other arm hand they are crying out for victims donors:hehe:

5

This is what p*sses me off about the blood transfusion service. They say they’re crying out for donors but they put donation sessions on when most people are at work!

Example: I went on their site to find the nearest centre to work. Opening times: 9.30-11.30 and 13.00-16.00. Nearest centre to home opening times: Fridays 9.30-12.30 and 14.00-16.30.

OK, in the first example that covers many peoples’ lunch hours but FFS, if you want more donors, open after office hours or at the weekend!

End rant, exhale, imbibe, relax.

6

Im guessing the timings difficulty is constrained by the fact that the volunteers drive this.

Id gladly tell my boss to stick it if he refused to let me go early or late in the working day.

7

Only yesterday we were discussing this at Ryka’s. Kevsta was saying that in italy, you get the day off if you give blood:w00t:

8

Now that would solve the donation problem!

9

I’d like to donate but can’t either :frowning:

10

I use to donate all the time until i was diagnosed with a type of cancer.

Got red of the cancer, however, they told me i can’t come back until i have no re occurrences for three years. I’m only up to two.

Donating is great. One session and you have help saved a life. How many people can say that??

I’m also quite rare, B-ve.

11

Well I am due another pint of the red stuff. I’ll give on your behalf Gabs.

12

If you have recived a blood transfusion since 1980 then unfortunatly you wil be unable to give blood, This step has been implemented by all four of the UK Blood Services on 2nd August 2004. It is a further precautionary measure against the possible risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) being transmitted by blood and blood products.

vCJD is thought to be the consequence of eating contaminated beef, related to BSE (or mad cow disease) in UK cattle after 1980. Fortunately, vCJD is very rare. But in late 2003, there was evidence that a blood donor transmitted vCJD to a patient, via transfusion. Scientists are not 100% sure that this is the case, as it is possible that both donor and patient acquired vCJD by eating contaminated beef.

13

Note to self - log Dudette out before posting!

Used to work for the NBS and remember this regulation comming in - strange in the US you only have to wait 1 year after reciving blood before you can donate again.

14

Yeah - but it was the US lax donation policies (any drunk, any blood, in any state - and here is the cash!) that lead to US blood products being given to UK haemophiliacs being contaminated with HIV.

15

I give three times a year, my local donation service opens late, ie outside working hours.

I do have to book an appointment though, despite there being a shortage and me being one of the rarer types, B rhesus Negative.

16

You b-! I always wanted to be “be positive”! But what do I get stuck with? Crappy O! Flaming typical. I’m going to B- for the rest of the day, now.

I’m normally a regular donor, so if I play me cards right ja reckon I can hold out for a cooler blood group?

17

All of my blood donation have been given in work time as I have worked at places where the mobile units will station themselves within the car park serving the whole business estate or as currently just serving 1 company. I have also registered on the bone marrow list, no call in yet but wouldnt it be great if the donation is needed across the other side of the world!

Recently they have introduced a platelets donation service where donations are given more regularly but you cannot give normal donations but your units records are double for each platelets donation.

I have on too many occasion been tempted to get a small tattoo but am always conscious that I would be prevented from giving blood so dont bother…

18

Very few people can do the platelet donation. I received a mail over a year ago as one of my donations was recorded as being a potential. Went to do the tests and alas wasn’t the count/density wasn’t high enough.

Still making up my mind over the marrow donation, unnecessary surgical procedures are an added risk. But I must find out more about it.

19

I used to donate regularly but can no longer due to asthma.

Jackie still donates and used to give platelets. However, that process is like using a dialysis machine. They plug you into a machine so that your blood passes through it has some of the platelets removed, and then passes back into your circulation. Some tw@t employed by the transfusion service managed to wire Jackie up so that the returning blood didn’t go into a blood vessel but just went straight into muscle! Despite jackie asking for assistance when the pain started no one did anything. She ended up with a very painful very swollen and very bruised arm that took a year to go back to normal. The Blood Transfusion Service didn’t seem at all bothered about what they had done.

20

Uh hum…
Erm, signature… call em… things may have changed.
Regents street donor centre usually open til 7:30 pm… easy access, loads of bike bays round there. I’m a regular as the sig will show…
Yeah the NHS top heavy management are mostly muppets, but don’t let that stand between and doin a good turn. Never know, one day it might be you that needs it… :smiley: