World Blood Donor Day
Today is World Blood Donor Day so why not take the opportunity to become a blood donor? In the UK to become a donor you need to be aged 17 – 65, weigh more than 50 kg (7 stone 12lbs) and be in general good health. There is no upper age limit for donors who have donated in the last two years. To book an appointment call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23 or visit http://www.blood.co.uk.
Donating Blood is something I feel very strongly about I’ve been a blood donor since I was 24, the only thing that stopped me donating was too unwell to give blood (at the moment I can’t donate due to recent medical investigations). It doesn’t hurt any more than an inoculation injection you might get before travelling abroad (honest!). I’ve also worked as a volunteer at donation sessions.
Here’s some facts
- A unit of blood is measured as 470mls (or just under a pint)
- A small amount of blood is kept for blood cross matching and so on
- All needles and equipment used is sterlised and only using once for your donation
- There are no more pints of Guinness at the end of the session, they are however tea, coffee, cold drinks and biscuits. Sometimes there’s even cake!
- The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a specialist Health Authority who are responsible for ensuring there is adequate supplies of blood at all times. It includes National Blood Service, Bio Products Laboratory and Organ Donation and Transplantation.
- Donating blood takes about an hour. The actual collecting takes about ten minutes.
- Donors can give blood three times a year.
- In 2009 NHSBT collected 1.9 million donations from 1.4 million donors.
- In the World Cup 2006 blood stocks fell by almost 20% (a fifth), the lowest level since 2001.
- Donors from black and minority ethnic communities are particulary needed so stocks can be maintained at desired levels of some blood groups such as B Rh D negative.
- There are four main blood groups A, B, AB and O.
- Over 95% of blood collected is split into it’s main parts: red cells, platelets and plasma.
- Red cells last only thirty five days and platelets only five days so a continuous supply is needed.
- NHSBT has blue light vehicles driven by specially trained emergency drivers so blood can be delivered where it’s needed in an emergency.
A quick look at the history of blood donating…
- It was William Harvey, leading physican in 1628 who discovered blood travels round the body.
- In 1666, same year as the Great Fire of London, Richard Lower transfused blood although it was using Sheep.
- Finally in 1900 Karl Landsteiner, a leading doctor from Vienna discovers blood groups why transfusions haven’t been going right for about 272 years! Ironically a blood clot kills him in the summer of 1943 when it lodged in his heart causing him to have a cardiac arrest while working in his lab aged 75.
- 1921 The first voluntary blood donation at Kings College Hospital, London. All the donors were British Red Cross members.
- In 1937 the first blood bank opens in Ipswich.
- As war kicks of in 1939, four large civilian centres open in London and Bristol
- By 1940 eight regional centres are opened by the Army and thousands of people donate, saving countless lives of serviceman and civilians.
- 1946 and The National Blood Service is launched (under the name Blood Transfusion Service).
- 1948 the NHS is formed and strong bonds between the newly created NHS and BTS are made.
- 1975 plastic bags begin to replace the old fashioned glass bottles.
- 1986 HIV testing of donated blood begins (note: you shouldn’t donate blood just to get a HIV test). It’s also the first year I donated!
- 1991 Hepatitis C testing of donated blood begins.
- 1999 Nucleic Amplification Testing is introduced, spotting viruses in donated blood in early stages, making donated blood even safer.
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