Find out how to donate blood in the West Midlands to ease pressure on NHS
With winter weather disrupting sessions, blood stocks are low. Answering the call for more donors, Heather Large went along after a six-year break
It only takes an hour and you could save three people’s lives.
From a pregnant mother needing a caesarean section to a motorcyclist critically injured in a road accident – a donation of blood is a lifeline in an emergency.
It is also crucial for hospital patients who need long-term treatments for illnesses such as leukaemia or sickle cell disease.
But following snowfall in December, the arrival of the Beast from the East in February along with the traditionally quieter Easter period, blood stocks are much lower than they would normally be at this time of year.
This has prompted an ongoing appeal by NHS Blood and Transplant for more donors – particularly those with O negative and B negative blood – to come forward.
“This winter we were hit with a double dose of bad weather.
We had snow before Christmas which meant sessions were cancelled and donors struggled to get to appointments so we came into the new year with lower stocks than normal.
Then the severe bad weather at the end of February again meant donors couldn’t get to sessions and some were cancelled.
“We want to say thank you to the donors who have responded so far but we still need more to get us back to where we should be to make sure hospital patients get the blood they need,”said communications officer Karen Healy.
As well as urging those who have given blood before to make an appointment, NHS Blood and Transplant needs almost 250,000 new donors each year to replace those who no longer donate for reasons such as ill health, pregnancy or foreign travel. A decision to donate blood can save a life or even three if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.
NHS Blood and Transplant is also looking for more blood donors from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to ensure it has the right mix of blood groups to match patient needs. “Only one per cent of current blood donors are black.
Some blood groups are more common in black people. We urgently need 40,000 more black donors as they are more likely to have the blood type needed to treat the increasing number of patients suffering from sickle cell disease.
“Communities like those in Wolverhampton and Birmingham are more diverse so we are keen to see more donors from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. We want our donor base to represent our diverse population but at the moment it doesn’t match up,” explained Karen.
As well as holding donation sessions at community venues, NHS Blood and Transplant has 23 permanent blood donation centres including one in easy walking distance of Birmingham New Street Station, which is where I went.
Hundreds of appointments are available each week at the centre in New Street and slots are also available for people who walk in on the day. More than 6,000 units of 470ml of blood, which is just under a pint, are needed every day to treat patients across England.
Staff say giving blood is a straightforward process and they always do their best to make it as pleasant an experience as possible for every donor.
And for me this was my first time donating blood after a break of six years. The staff were as welcoming and friendly as I remember and they work hard to put everyone at ease.
Although it does seem strange at first when the donation process starts, you soon get used to it. This part only takes 10 to 15 minutes and then before you know it you’re being handed a drink and invited to choose a biscuit or packet of crisps – and it’s really nice to know that I’ve helped someone in need.
“Most people are able to give blood – men can give blood every 12 weeks and women can give blood every 16 weeks,” said Karen.
“First there is a health screening to make sure it’s safe for you to give blood and it’s safe for someone to receive your blood. We will then check the iron levels in your blood.
“The blood donations are all collected and taken to our laboratory in Bristol to be processed and tested. We carry out 50 different tests before it’s issued to the hospitals. It doesn’t matter where you donate, your blood can go to a hospital anywhere in the country.
“If you have provided your mobile number, you will get a text telling you which hospital has received your blood so you know how far it’s travelled. Every donation can help save three different people’s lives as the blood can be split into its components. The red cells could go to a mother giving birth, the plasma to a burns victim and the platelets to a leukaemia patient. Giving blood is an amazing thing to do,” said Karen.
To make an appointment or find out more see www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.
