Blood Donors

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PanBiker
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Re: Blood Donors

Post by PanBiker »

Attended my re-jigged donor session at Cone Municipal Hall this afternoon. I had an appointment for 14.25 but had to arrive almost an hour early as Sally had an appointment with her mums doctors and carers at Burnley Hospital so I had to be dropped off. The team slotted me in and I was finished by the time my original appointment was made for. Just in time as it turned out as the blood donor team had been advised by their base at Manchester to stand down the session as the road conditions were deteriorating back at base and the surrounding area where many of the team live. They were having difficulty getting their coach and some of their vehicles off the car park.

I will have to book my own appointment for the next session at Barlick as each team can only book advance appointments for their own venues.
Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

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I should have bounced the topic a few days ago but forgot. It's Blood Donor day again today in Barlick down at Rolls Social Club.

Please attend if you can. You will not be turned away if you don't have an appointment. You will need about an hour of your time as a new donor.

Sessions are between 13.15 and 15.15 in the afternoon and then 17.00 to 19.00 in the evening.

Do something amazing...
Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

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Back from Blood Donors. I seemed to be fast tracked through today. Turned up at 2.00pm for my appointment, short wait, passed to nurse for screening and haemoglobin test, another very short wait then onto donation table. Nurse Janet was very good, hardly felt a thing, 15 minutes later I'm done. Tea and biscuits (Bourbon) by 2.35, home by just after quarter to three. Very slick operation by the Manchester team.

It's so easy to donate, please make the effort if you have not been before.

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Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

Post by David Whipp »

Thank you Ian.

I'm afraid they don't want my blood...
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Re: Blood Donors

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You are excused David along with anyone else who for whatever reason cannot donate. The fact of the matter is though that only around 4% of eligible people do donate. The reason I keep banging on about it. In Barlick that equates to somewhere in the region of 3,500 people are eligible but never go anywhere near. The system always needs a constant supply of new donors to ensure continuity of supply.

Having said all that the session yesterday were very well attended and I noticed a few new donors filling their medical questionnaires in for the first time. My lad Jack went to the evening session after work and he also said that is was busy. Maybe Barlick is starting to buck the trend.
Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

Post by Gloria »

Off to give my fourpenneth again next monday---it does seem to come around fast.
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Re: Blood Donors

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Our sessions used to be more or less at the same time Gloria, now they are a month apart. Mine last time was on the normal rota of 16 weeks, has yours been set back a bit?
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Re: Blood Donors

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Tripps has posed a question in another thread about the recent statement about plasma stocks and also asked generally for more information about blood. I though it might be an idea to keep the debate in here as we have a dedicated thread for the subject. Here is a link to the NHSBT blood donors website which has all the relevant information. The section on "about blood" is a good starting point.

NHSBT - About Blood

The recent statement that triggered the query is here:

NHSBT - Blood not Sold for Profit

Unlike the present broken economy and the transgressions of the banking giants which tend to affect every single person in the country. Anything wrong with NHSBT or its organisation will only directly effect less than 5% of the population as that is the number that actually donate and provide the stocks for everyone else. Not to say that this is not an important issue but I do think that in the vast scale of things there are many more dodgy deals going on in other areas which are doing a lot more damage to substantially more people.

My next session is in September and I may have to re-jig the date and venue to cater for holiday plans. Skipton session is looking like my best bet at the moment.
Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

Post by Gloria »

Mine are usually on 16weeks, don't know why we are out of sinc unless I had one a bit later due to hols.
I put my name down a while ago for donating platelets and plasma but I am not suitable, they want my blooooooood. :wink:
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Re: Blood Donors

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The 12 week regime available for blokes cannot be done without slotting an extra session in, which in turn would then throw all the ladies out. It comes in handy though if you need to re-schedule for any reason.

I would like to donate platelets but the nearest centre is Bradford and you need to have quite a bit of spare time to commit. Still working part time (1 + 3 half days) so it's a bit difficult at the moment.
Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

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Current shortage of O and B groups. NHSBT has launched an appeal for donors to visit drop in sessions to address the shortfall.

More information on the link below, check your location if you are in these groups and are able to help.

NHSBT - Blood Type Appeals
Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

Post by Gloria »

I put this on another thread and thought I should add on here also.

The blood donors rang me , and I also missed the last one due to hols. There is one next week but that is full, so I am down for Feb!!! They didn't mention sending me elsewhere which they sometimes do. I think they are stocking up for winter. My group is O rhesus negative so I often get phone calls/letters if they are running down. Sadly I now seem to be one of the oldest there, which is sad.
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Re: Blood Donors

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I just got my letter for the next session at Rolls Royce which is on the 16th January. I had to go online to book an appointment as I missed the last session due to holidays.

The online site is now self service, so once registered you can book real time appointments and see your personal donation record if you are already an existing donor. When you book an appointment now using your registered account you have the option to share your commitment on Facebook or Twitter along with a suitable comment if you wish to make one. A nice enhancement for further publicity. Other areas of the site also have sharing options for Facebook, Twitter and the option to Google+

I have put mine on my Facebook wall, it inserts a suitable graphic with the share which will link back to the blood site for further information or to register. Lets hope these changes will help to swell the number of people that donate.

I have downloaded the latest (Summer) version of the donor magazine which I have attached. Have a read and then please do something amazing. Check out the site and make a commitment to help save lives.
TheDonor_Summer2013.pdf
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Ian
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Re: Blood Donors

Post by Gloria »

PanBiker wrote:The online site is now self service, so once registered you can book real time appointments and see your personal donation record if you are already an existing donor.
Oh that's good, moving on. Mine is in Feb.
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Re: Blood Donors

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Just been to my donation session down at Rolls, we now have the reclining beds as opposed to the old trolleys. Got to say that I like them, a lot more comfortable. My donation seemed to come in record time which was a bonus. The session was very busy with what seemed to be half the workforce of Rolls at the venue. Got my silver award as well this session, aiming for gold now.

Next session in Barlick is on the 1st May, so anyone thinking of donating, get yourself online, register and book your first session. Click the link below.

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Re: Blood Donors

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Just been and made my donation at Rolls. I was on time for my appointment but ended up late as there were three people in front of me at registration who were new donors. No problem for me as I had all afternoon, I ended up 30 minutes late.

There was an extra session slotted in at Rolls on Tuesday this week, apparently the normal Skipton venue was unavailable so they moved the session to Barlick.

Next one for me will be on the 28th August, might need to rearrange that as it may clash with holidays but not sure yet.
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Re: Blood Donors

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I had to miss the August session as it clashed with my holiday and I could not find another one in the district which was on a suitable date. There was a session in Barlick in January but I had to miss that one due to my hospitalisation and blood tests. There is another session in February. I got a call from NHS Blood and Transplant to see if I was attending, it gave me an opportunity too ask If I was eligible again. Unfortunately not as I am scheduled for follow up with repeat blood tests at the surgery in April. This constitutes an undiagnosed condition at the moment so I will have to miss this one as well. I may well be sorted by May so have asked them to ring me then. I will be back in the regime as soon as I am able. My lad Jack got his invite today and will be attending.
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Re: Blood Donors

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Received an invitation from NHSBT to book myself an appointment for the next session at Rolls on the 5th May. Hopefully I will be clear by then, my follow up blood tests from a few weeks back have all come back clear and I have an appointment with the Doc to discuss. I'm hoping he will sign me off as fit to donate again.

The letter says that even common types like my A+ group are under pressure for stock levels. Constant battle with only 4% of eligible donors actually giving, worse than the turnout at elections and this is life and death.
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Re: Blood Donors

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Got the all clear and fit to donate again from my Doc on Tuesday. Logged onto my NHSBT account to make an appointment as it's now self service. My appointment day (5th May) has been booked but not the time, clicked down to the morning session to find 0 appointments available, same for the evening session as well. I'm not working so I will just tip up and wait, they will slot me in somewhere. I have my health check questionnaire so I can tip up with that sorted and hit the system running.
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Re: Blood Donors

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Further to yesterdays blank from the NHSBT site, checking again today I found an appointment slot available in the afternoon session. Grabbed it quickly and as it turns out I will be one of the first through the system on Tuesday as its for 13.30 only 15 minutes into the session, winner. :grin:
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Re: Blood Donors

Post by Gloria »

You were lucky Ian, I once tried doing it online, found it booked up so thought I'd just turn up and hopefully they could fit me in. Wrong, and I'm sorry to say they weren't very apologetic about it.
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Re: Blood Donors

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I haven't donated for the last two sessions, the late summer one I was on holiday and the last one I was having tests at the docs which ruled me out on the medical questionnaire. All appointments are now self service although I assume one will still be able to make one for the next session after you have made a donation. I will find out on Tuesday no doubt. I have an invitation letter but with no appointment time on hence having to use the online system to try and find a slot. Session must have been fully booked up five days before when I tried yesterday and I have just hit lucky on a cancellation.

I remember when I last donated the team said the Barlick sessions were getting very busy and they may have to introduce double sessions to accommodate everyone, can't be bad really, probably an above average turnout but still nationally only 4% of the eligible population. According to my letter even the common A+ group is under pressure of supply, my armful on Tuesday.
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Re: Blood Donors

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Was one of the first on to donate today shortly after the session opened. I had to get my eligibility to donate after the health check signed of by a senior nurse as well as the interview nurse as I had ticked the box for recent hospital investigations. A short cross examination notes taken and signed and I was good to go.

Slight change in regime again since my last visit, they make you take your pint of water for hydration all the way to the donation chair and finish drinking it while they are setting up, you used to have to leave it when they called you to donate. Anyway in and out in 20 minutes next session in September.
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Re: Blood Donors

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Just posted this on our local facebook site, will be interested to see what feedback it gets.

Barnoldswick Talk

Its National Blood Week and NHS Blood and Transplant have launched an appeal for new donors to come forward. 204,000 new donors are required to replace those who can no longer donate anymore and to maintain a full compliment of blood types. If you have never donated before please register. It takes less than an hour of your time and you will be helping to save lives.

More information on the website and you can register from there. Come on folks, help make a difference.

Lets keep this post positive as well please, no comments about why you cant give but lets hear from all the folk that can and will make the commitment.

National Blood Week - Urgent Appeal
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Re: Blood Donors

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I thought I would report back about how the appeal for new donors went over on Facebook. I put the post up before the appeal week started and gave up my encouragement posts about 10 days later. In that time one person posted that they have signed up and another said they were hoping to sign up.

Barnoldswick Talk Facebook site has over 3000 members. Applying the algorithm for the number of potential eligible donors would still give a figure of 150 people from those 3000 who could donate.

One new donor and a potential is good news but from an appeal for 204,000 new donors just to maintain the status quo of 4% is pretty abysmal. I just can't understand why more people don't come forward. I have no doubt that most folk would offer an arm full if push came to shove with one of their loved ones so what is the difference in doing it to help someone else?
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