[NSC] Unless you can't. Please give Blood.

[Gwylan]

Hmm not had mine on the same day cancelled yet.

They've not cancelled the session - they've just culled 40 donors. I reckon they didn't have enough TUC biscuits to go around

 

[Papak]

Just had my appointment next month cancelled - the second time this year. Booked for next February, nearly 16 months since my last one.

I'm baffled about people who notch 50 donations: how do they manage it? I'm on 21 and having been donating for the last 45 years. I've lost count of how many I've had cancelled over the years.

I book my next appointment as soon as I get home from donating. I rarely need to wait too long and manage 3 / 4 a year

 

[Papak]

Just registered as a new user on the donation site, but no available appointments between now and the end of Feb 2023. Ah well, I tried.

Please keep trying, I find the app best for searching for appointments. I tend to go to the same venue when I can but have used 8 local venues in the past 3 or 4 years.

 

[Acker79]

Just had my appointment next month cancelled - the second time this year. Booked for next February, nearly 16 months since my last one.

I'm baffled about people who notch 50 donations: how do they manage it? I'm on 21 and having been donating for the last 45 years. I've lost count of how many I've had cancelled over the years.

I'm a 'first responder donor' because I'm O- they like me a lot and give me a special number to call to make appointments and will make room if a session I want to attend is full (not that I've used it yet, I've always been able to get appointments). I did have one donation cancelled one Christmas time, but that was before they introduced the first responder stuff.

 

[arewethereyet?]

Just had my appointment next month cancelled - the second time this year. Booked for next February, nearly 16 months since my last one.

I'm baffled about people who notch 50 donations: how do they manage it? I'm on 21 and having been donating for the last 45 years. I've lost count of how many I've had cancelled over the years.

Mine also cancelled for next month and re booked for February as well, that’s my 3rd one cancelled this year.

in response to your baffled how do they manage it, well for me I can tell you that I’m on 84 donations to date, I’m 57 years old and have been donating regularly since I was 22, so an average of 2.5 donation a year, sometimes 3 times sometimes 4, it depends but since covid and the increasing number of cancelled sessions, it’s getting much much harder.

 

[dolphins]

It's also worth knowing that you can book the next appointment to take place after your upcoming one. I'm booked in for #69 at the end of November (earliest I could get after the one at the end of August was canned due to the torrential rain we had, flooding out the donation centre at the cricket ground), and have just booked for #70 at the end of February at the Racecourse. The only thing is that you need to ensure you leave it 12 weeks for males, 16 weeks for females, from the previous donation.

 

[BNthree]

They've not cancelled the session - they've just culled 40 donors. I reckon they didn't have enough TUC biscuits to go around

Actually I emailed them to say one of the earlier donors is going to take the piss with the TUCs and hey presto!

 

[BNthree]

They've not cancelled the session - they've just culled 40 donors. I reckon they didn't have enough TUC biscuits to go around

Just got an email saying my appointment is cancelled too. Reckon the whole day is cancelled as I was in one of the last slots of the day.

 

[lost in london]

After waiting four months, they cancelled the slot because of a lack of staff. I don't think a blood shortage is caused by a lack of volunteers, the infrastructure just isn't there. Looking now, I can't get a slot at a place within 15 miles of me until at least Feb 23.

Had a call last week from them and they helped me find a slot for today. Great I thought, what fabulous service. 80 minutes before I was about to leave today they have cancelled again due to 'staffing issues'. They really, really don't help themselves do they?

 

[Acker79]

I received this today:

You may have read in the news over the past month or so that we called an Amber Alert on blood stocks. This meant hospitals needed to reduce their use of blood to make sure blood was available for patients who needed it to survive. This was because we had less than two days’ worth of blood in stock - we aim to have six days’ stock at any one time.

The main reason we found ourselves in this situation was because of a staffing shortage. If we don’t have enough staff, we can’t have as many appointments and can’t take enough blood. And unfortunately, being short staffed means we sometimes have to cancel appointments at the last minute if one of our team are ill. If that has happened to you, I am very sorry.

We have worked hard to quickly recover and secure blood stocks and I’m very grateful to you, our donors, our staff and hospitals who have helped to ensure we have been able to lift the alert.

Extra staff have been moved to the front line meaning the number of appointments to donate blood have increased by an average of around 3,500 per week. And the amazing response from you, our donors, has seen appointments being filled to an average of 99 per cent each week compared to 94 per cent in the summer, meaning an average of 5,200 extra booked appointments each week.

We are creating more appointment slots which we need to fill so we can supply the blood every patient needs. Thank you if you have given blood over the past month and helped build the stocks. Sorry if the appointments were full and you weren’t able to book in.

We need you all year round so, if you haven’t already, please book an appointment this winter to save and improve lives.

If you need to rearrange your appointment, please try to give us 7 days’ notice, affording us time to give it to another lifesaver. And if you can't find an appointment, please keep checking for last minute appointments or book for the future.

Give Blood - do something amazing give blood

Welcome to Give Blood online service

my.blood.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 37369]

Just got back from Worthing having made my 75th donation of my

Great to see new people being trained, which will hopefully reduce the cancelations we've seen over the last few years.

I had a couple of people in training have a go at putting the needle in. I have a very good vein they use but it's a bit hidden - so the first one wasn't confident in having a stab!! The second one had a go and was successful

It meant I was there longer than usual ... but so worth it

Next session already booked

 

[Grizz]

75, fair play to ya! I made my 7th the other week. I didn't start donating until they changed the archaic rules on gay men donating blood, but do it religiously now and they're always after a pint with me being O-

 

[banjo]

Just got back from Worthing having made my 75th donation of my

Great to see new people being trained, which will hopefully reduce the cancelations we've seen over the last few years.

I had a couple of people in training have a go at putting the needle in. I have a very good vein they use but it's a bit hidden - so the first one wasn't confident in having a stab!! The second one had a go and was successful

It meant I was there longer than usual ... but so worth it

Next session already booked

I used to give blood, but then could never get an appointment as it was always fully booked so stopped. Not sure what it’s like these days?

 

[Deleted member 37369]

I used to give blood, but then could never get an appointment as it was always fully booked so stopped. Not sure what it’s like these days?

It seems to be improving - and as I said, great to hear they're getting more staff. Someone on here said the same at a recent donor session in Hove.

It helps if you can be a little flexible with location. I usually donate at Shoreham but went to Worthing today. My next session is already booked for Shoreham.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

75, fair play to ya! I made my 7th the other week. I didn't start donating until they changed the archaic rules on gay men donating blood, but do it religiously now and they're always after a pint with me being O-

And fair play to you for your patience over the years and having to deal with the rules. Great that you can now donate and bloody well done on making your 7th

 

[banjo]

It seems to be improving - and as I said, great to hear they're getting more staff. Someone on here said the same at a recent donor session in Hove.

It helps if you can be a little flexible with location. I usually donate at Shoreham but went to Worthing today. My next session is already booked for Shoreham.

Ah okay thanks , I mostly used the Charmandean Centre before. I’ll check out what’s available.

 

[portlock seagull]

I now can’t, but have to say when looked into it’s bloody hard to. Entire counties don’t have anywhere to give, and then there’s a 3-4-5 month wait before you can. My wife is doing next week but it’s taken since November and got to go 20 miles, that was nearest.

Not exactly easy and convenient. Unlike 10 or so years ago when every village hall seemingly did from time to time. Definitely need to up their game, no wonder a shortage of that difficult.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

I now can’t, but have to say when looked into it’s bloody hard to. Entire counties don’t have anywhere to give, and then there’s a 3-4-5 month wait before you can. My wife is doing next week but it’s taken since November and got to go 20 miles, that was nearest.

Not exactly easy and convenient. Unlike 10 or so years ago when every village hall seemingly did from time to time. Definitely need to up their game, no wonder a shortage of that difficult.

I think there have been a lot of issues - starting with Covid - but hopefully we'll start to see improvements this year. Well done on your wife going to those lengths to donate. I keep on checking for availability and usually booked ahead for my next session before the one coming up.