Riskex Reflections on a Friday #38: Have you given blood recently?
Giving blood is not as scary as it sounds and according to the NHS, every pint of blood donated can save up to three lives. In the NHS annual report 2022/ 2023 it reports that only 800,000 people are active blood donors in the UK.
Who can donate?
To donate blood you will need to:
- Be generally fit and well
- Be aged between 17-65
- Weigh between 7 stone 12lbs (50kg) and 25 stone (158kg)
- Have suitable veins (which will be checked before you donate)
- Meet all donor eligibility criteria (which will be checked before you donate)
How frequently can I donate?
Men can donate blood every 12 weeks and women can donate every 16 weeks. This is because men generally have higher iron levels than women.
Who can’t donate blood?
- People who have had most types of cancer
- People who have some heart conditions
- People who have received blood, platelets, plasma or any other blood products after 1 January 1980
- People who have tested positive for HIV
- People who have had an organ transplant
- People who are a hepatitis B carrier
- People who are a hepatitis C carrier
- People who have injected non-prescribed drugs including body-building and injectable tanning agents. You may be able to give if a doctor prescribed the drugs
How is your blood used?
Around two thirds of blood donated in England is used to treat medical conditions, including anemia, cancer and blood disorders.
Nearly a third is used in surgery and emergencies including childbirth.
Blood can be vital for people with medical conditions or who are having surgery. Blood transfusions can also improve the quality of life for people whose illness has no cure.
Sometimes blood is not suitable for transfusion. This blood can still be a huge benefit to patients in areas like the development of treatments and therapies. Blood can be use for research and training and help develop tests.
Where can you give blood in England?
There are 25 main donor centres in England. A list of these blood donor centres can be found here
In addition to the main donor centres, there are thousands of temporary community-based venues where you can give blood, which generally are open around 2/3 times a year. You can find a local blood donation venue and book an appointment here
