OneGuyFromBarlick

Bingley venue was easy enough to find yesterday. Just about 200 yards off the bypass on Main Street. Any available free parking spaces were taken when I arrived so I had to park on the pay and display, only £1.40 for a couple of hours. Well organised with a receptionist nurse on the door. When beckoned in she took your temperature and you waited on one of only 3 chairs to be called into the main hall. More hand sanitisers available and you were directed to a well spaced chair to read the book and wait to be called. My appointment was 3pm, I arrived a couple of minutes early and was called for my turn at about 3.35pm. Nurse said they were extremely busy, the pandemic has not put people off attending even though venues are scarcer. The Little Theatre was a lot warmer than Burnley Fire Station that's for sure, pleasant and well organised venue. I completed my donation in about 10 minutes and was having my biscuit a few minutes later. No brews of course but fruit juices available if you wanted them. I had taken my own water so just carried on with that. I scanned a Q Code of a sheet on the table and it took me to a NHSBT questionnaire about the session which I completed. I left at 4pm.

My next session is already booked at West Bradford.

It is good to see people aren't put off donating, the donation teams have got a well organised system going on.
I was quite fortunate at Burnley Football Club for my last donation, I was in the door a couple of minutes early and in a donation chair within 10 minutes. I 'bleed out' fairly quickly and the armful was given in just over 6 minutes. I then had to wait an hour for Paulette, despite her appointment only being 15 minutes later than mine (it suddenly got busy). I think I was one of the first in after lunch

This morning I received a public service message asking for blood donors to make a donation before having a Covid vaccine or 28 days after the second shot. I haven't seen this mentioned before, can you not donate during this period? Is it the same everywhere?

From The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

Normal ‘Wellness Checks’ and COVID-19 related questions are done before entering, at appointment time.
Also donors have to wait 7 days after each COVID-19 vaccination before donating blood, regardless of which vaccine they have received.
If a donor has returned from overseas, they have to wait 28 days.

Thanks Cathy. I'm not a donor but this was the first time I became aware of it.

If you have had Covid and have recovered you are a valuable asset for NHSBT. You are extremely useful as a platelet donor if you can attend one of the dedicated centres. Our nearest is Bradford and I hope it is something our Jack might consider when he feels up to it. Like me he is a regular donor but has had the virus so would be a contender.

Generally NHSBT wont touch you with a barge pole if you have had foreign needles in you of any type in the period running up to your donation, I think it's two weeks. Surgery, invokes the cavalry as I found out and requires your details being scrutinised by their medical panel. You can't donate within a week of a dental appointment either.

My donation at Bingley has been sent to Grantham and District Hospital. I got a text and an email yesterday to tell me where it will be used.

I hear from our Jack that he has registered for platelet donation. He is waiting for info from the team.

I got a letter from NHSBT this morning. I thought it was a bit early for my invitation for the 26th May session. Not my invite, they have moved the session forward by a week, same time slot for me and at the same venue just a week earlier on the 19th. I think Kev may get the same notification as I think he is on the same date.

I will be 11 days the other side of my second Covid jab so will be compliant for donation, (you have to be 7 days clear or you can't donate).

PanBiker wrote: ↑27 Mar 2021, 10:35 I got a letter from NHSBT this morning. I thought it was a bit early for my invitation for the 26th May session. Not my invite, they have moved the session forward by a week, same time slot for me and at the same venue just a week earlier on the 19th. I think Kev may get the same notification as I think he is on the same date.

I will be 11 days the other side of my second Covid jab so will be compliant for donation, (you have to be 7 days clear or you can't donate).

Is this at West Bradford Ian? I moved mine to May 13 at Bradford Donor Centre as it clashed with the Covid jab.

Yes, West Bradford Kev, must have another booking or something on the original date.

Got my appointment letter and medical questionnaire for next weeks session at West Bradford. Just managed to book another in August, 12 weeks exactly from this next one.

Got a letter cancelling mine until September, dependant on the biopsy result.

I thought you might Kev. One thing I found after my surgery was that the NHSBT medical panel was very efficient at reviewing cases.

My armful done at West Bradford Village Hall. First time at that venue and quite a nice one. 15 minute drive through Sawley and Gridleton, lots of parking up front and a nice comfortable building. Session was quite busy and my appointment for 3.05 ended up starting at 3.30, out by 3.50. No Club biscuits though, staff were complaining as well about the lack of chocolate. A couple of Bourbon had to do.

We used to pick the milk up in West Bradford. Many of the farms round there were contracted to sending their milk to Fattorini's in Bradford for ice cream making and when West Marton took over the Bradford dairy they inherited the pickups.

My last donation was issued to Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital in the Doncaster and Worksop Trust via the Manchester NHSBT processing hub.

I am booked in August for my next donation at the same venue.

Just received an email this morning cancelling my August appointment at West Bradford, doesn't give a definitive reason but very apologetic. I will have to look for another venue....

Later, just found a slot at the Prairie Sports Centre in Burnley on the 16th September so I have booked what looks like the last available slot at 14.45

I have cancelled my next blood donor appointment. I thought it prudent as my latest blood test still shows a slight lack of iron. No point driving to Burnley then finding I can't donate.

We're both off to Crow Wood tomorrow lunchtime to give up an armful.

Doc has suggest that I don't donate again until after my follow up blood test. Two months of Iron tablets, one month off then a blood test in the new year to check levels again.

I hope the iron pills do the trick. Eat plenty of liver as well!

Hassan asked me about that, I don't eat liver and he is with me on that one he doesn't like it either.

He said that it's OK trying to jig the levels on diet but it can take a lot longer and he wants to see if I retain levels after a known dosage of iron tablets. Not good to double whammy iron replacement either it can do nasty stuff to you, one or t'uther is the recommended treatment. Just taken delivery of my tablets, bought them online at a quarter of the price it would cost the NHS on a heads up from Hassan, his wife pops a preventative dose everyday.

Let's hope they do the job Ian.

Nice one Kev and P, keeping up the side.

Getting quite a few texts from NHSBT as it seems stocks are low, sad that I can't help at the moment.