Session update

You may be aware that there has been an increased need for blood donations recently. A combination of hot weather, summer travel and staff shortages has meant that there is a call for more donations. If you want to help, here’s how.

You may be aware that there has been an increased need for blood donations recently.

While hospitals continue to get the blood they need, a combination of hot weather, summer travel and staff shortages has meant that there is a call for more donations.

If you want to help, here’s how:

Make a date and keep it

After blood donation Travel overseas in the summer holidays traditionally leads to fewer people giving blood. To help maintain a steady supply of blood to hospitals, please consider making an appointment, if you are eligible to do so.

You can check your eligibility to give blood by completing our short online questionnaire.

Please be sure to attend your appointment. We will send you confirmation and reminder messages by email but please use your diary and keep to your appointment time.

If you are unable to attend for any reason, please try to give us at least three days’ notice so that we can offer your appointment time to other donors.

Use your local donor centre

We have greater capacity and more short notice appointments at our 25 main donor centres. As well as free wi-fi and TVs, many of our centres boast air conditioning, meaning you can beat the heat as you save lives.

You can find the list of our donor centres here.

Prepare for your donation

Food and drink

More than any other time of year, what you do before your donation counts. With the warm weather, it is important to stay hydrated and cool, wearing loose-fitting clothes.

Your iron levels may also drop in the summertime. To help you maintain iron levels high enough to be able to donate, be sure to eat plenty of foods rich in iron and vitamin C. You can find more about these foods here.

Sleep

A good night’s sleep is always important. We recommend getting between seven and nine hours’ sleep the night before you donate to help you feel fresh and alert, which will, in turn, help to reduce the risk of you feeling unwell afterwards.

Exercise

Avoid doing any vigorous exercise or heavy lifting the day of your donation – both before and after you’ve donated.

Keeping your body in a rested state is important to give it a chance to replenish the fluids lost during donation, which will help you avoid feeling dizzy or lightheaded and keep you well. Light exercise such as walking is fine, but please make sure that you are fully recovered and hydrated prior to your donation.

For more tips on how to prepare for your donation, visit our website.

Safety measures — Safety is always our priority.

Session safety

If you’re planning to give blood in the next few months, you should be aware that we continue to have measures in place to protect the safety of donors and staff at sessions. Face masks are optional, but encouraged, and handwashing facilities continue to be available, so please make full use of them.

There may be longer wait times with the push for more donations so please bear with us. We will do our best to complete your donation as quickly as possible. If we have to cancel your appointment for any reason, please accept our apologies and be reminded that we only do so as a last resort.

If you are able to reschedule your appointment then please do so online, via the NHS Give Blood app, or by calling 0300 123 23 23.

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