Giving Blood: It’s Not Just For Terror Attacks

The UK has seen three terrorist attacks in the same number of months and each time Brits have reacted brilliantly. Taxis gave free rides, locals offered safe spaces and Twitter helped us laugh through dark times. Our response has been exceptional but there’s one good deed that should be our rule, not our reaction: giving blood.

The NHS blood donation unit had an overwhelming response from people after the Manchester arena attack. The queues of volunteers waiting to give blood were heartwarming (left). These people saved lives by simply sacrificing a little time.

While the NHS didn’t ask for emergency donations after the attacks, it is always begging for regular blood donors. Its calls often go unheard – just 4% of the population provide blood for all the rest.

Being a Donor

I couldn’t have cared less about learning to drive when I turned 17 (London and cars? Ha!) but I was ecstatic to finally be able to give blood. It’s something I’d wanted to do for years and I ended up getting to grips with donation needles a decade before I mastered speedometer ones. I’ve loved doing it since day one.

Giving blood is remarkably easy, it simply takes time. It’s a good deed but I don’t just donate out of moral obligation. It’s the only time I’m praised for lying down, doing nothing and eating free sugary biscuits and salty crisps with abandon. It’s a standard Wednesday night with some altruism thrown in.

Appointments are the best way to donate blood. Clinics prioritise these over walk-ins so you might get turned away or kept waiting if you randomly turn up. Go to www.blood.co.uk to sign up and schedule a donation near you. Centres are always overstretched but they’ll do their best to get you bleeding and out within an hour.

The Donation

The actual process is a doddle. Before you go drink some water and try to eat iron-rich foods. You’ll fill out a medical form on arrival then have a finger-prick test where your blood is dropped into a solution to see if it sinks. If it doesn’t you might be anaemic and they’ll send you away with advice on how to look after yourself before helping others.

If you’re all good you get to actually donate. It’s best that anyone with a real needle phobia doesn’t waste precious NHS time but if you’re just nervous there’s no need to worry. It’s a short sharp scratch and you can’t feel the rest.

A nurse will take samples to find out your group and test for any blood-borne diseases. Giving blood regularly doesn’t just give you a free check up – it also helps thin your blood and reduces iron build-up, decreasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. A study from the University of California also found it burns 650 calories.

Once you’re hooked up you work your muscles a little as clenching speeds up the process. Beating your personal bag-filling best takes mere minutes. Then you get your reward: biscuits, crisps, drinks and a chat before re-entering the world a little lighter and a lot better for it.

Who can donate?

To start giving blood you need to be aged 17-66. Men must wait three months between each donation and women four months. You may be ineligible to give for a number of reasons so check the NHS website first.

Blood is divided by group (A, B, AB and O) and rhesus (positive or negative). Each blood type carries different properties meaning that some can’t interact. Only O- blood is safe for everyone to receive so it’s used in emergencies when someone’s blood type is unknown. Only 7% of the population are O- but their blood powers A&Es across the country.

The rarer your blood type, the more important it is to donate. There are rare sub-types more common in black, Asian and minority people so it’s vital that they and O- people donate regularly or they will be putting themselves and others at risk.

The NHS Needs You

Since my first donation I’ve received texts, letters and the occasional phone call from the NHS asking me to give again. The call for blood is constant – you just don’t hear it.

National blood stocks constantly run low and it shouldn’t take a major crisis for an entire city to step up. Every day in A&E is an emergency. Blood doesn’t come with a threat level and neither should donating it: we need blood for hit and runs and routine surgeries as much as terrorist attacks.

Blood doesn’t go from donor to patient in an instant. Those safety tests take time and blood needs to be separated into platelets, blood cells and plasma. Platelets are vital – they clot and stem blood loss – but can only be stored for seven days so they need constant restocking.

Blood takes 2-3 weeks to reach a patient so hospitals stockpile in case of emergency. It’s so important that the kind-hearted people wanting to help in Manchester, London and across the UK become regular donors so that next time we’re not wondering what we can do to help – we’ve already done it.

Don’t leave it to others to save the lives of those you love. Sign up, book an appointment and become a blood donor today.

 

by Jo Davey

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