Discussion
I'll be honest it'll be very long time before I bother again.
I noticed signs up about not abusing staff. I waited 70mins.
None of the staff had any sense of urgency or movement about them.
I'd say next year I'll give it a shot. Unless they are willing to come to me. I'm guessing there's some form of outsourcing going on. Somethings changed. It was never great but they were polite.
I noticed signs up about not abusing staff. I waited 70mins.
None of the staff had any sense of urgency or movement about them.
I'd say next year I'll give it a shot. Unless they are willing to come to me. I'm guessing there's some form of outsourcing going on. Somethings changed. It was never great but they were polite.
I stopped donating at local pop up sessions and now only donate at permanent locations.
The pop ups were often standing room only, stuffy and disorganised with long waits even though I turned up on time for my appointment.
The permanent locations at Westfield and Margret St in London are a world apart - I'm normally in and out in less than an hour.
The pop ups were often standing room only, stuffy and disorganised with long waits even though I turned up on time for my appointment.
The permanent locations at Westfield and Margret St in London are a world apart - I'm normally in and out in less than an hour.
I was giving blood for years, they used to come to our office or have a centre not far. Then they moved me onto giving plasma, as I have a rare blood type (I was told). Happily did it, even when it was 30 minutes away and parking was a challenge. But a few years back, they closed a plasma donation centre in Manchester and told me that I have to drive to Birmingham to do it. 150 miles round trip and no parking on site. At this point I stopped and now NHS complains that fewer people are donating blood.
Only managed half a pint last night - normally they say I am going too fast, but they just couldn't get it to work.
And is it just me, or are the thumb screws really out for the questions at the start of each session! - Full interrogation!
P.S. Rules have changed, in the past you could take a child with you to watch / play on tablet while you donated, not any more.
And is it just me, or are the thumb screws really out for the questions at the start of each session! - Full interrogation!
P.S. Rules have changed, in the past you could take a child with you to watch / play on tablet while you donated, not any more.
Ticked over the 10 milestone recently, although I only do the one which is walking distance from home as I'm a bit iffy with needles so would rather not have to drive afterwards. Annoyingly every couple of years they seem to rotate this venue with another one a bit further away, so not sure when my next one will be.
I sometimes need a second go to get under the blood pressure limit (I'm over 50 and tall, but medication is helping(.
Now I have a much more interesting story: they wouldn't take my blood because I'm below the required haemoglobin level. Following a doctor's visit to find it had dropped even lower, I'm off for a full invasion of both ends (colonoscopy and endoscopy) to see what's bleeding.
So it might really be true that giving blood saves lives! Take care of yourselves and keep an eye on those blood work numbers.
Now I have a much more interesting story: they wouldn't take my blood because I'm below the required haemoglobin level. Following a doctor's visit to find it had dropped even lower, I'm off for a full invasion of both ends (colonoscopy and endoscopy) to see what's bleeding.
So it might really be true that giving blood saves lives! Take care of yourselves and keep an eye on those blood work numbers.
hidetheelephants said:
I donated a couple of times but since an unpleasant lurgy that resulted in a hospital stay and several pints transfused I'm banned. Cheers to everyone who donates, I'd probably be dead without those who donated the several armsful* I received.
*copyright Tony Hancock.
Nice post. *copyright Tony Hancock.
I'm 59 years old and the first time I donated I thought of nothing else the whole time I was there than Tony Hancock. Thankfully that wore off fairly quickly.
With all the recent publicity about a shortage of blood I thought I would try to donate.
To start with you cannot even just find the local donation centres until you have been through a painful "queue-it" wait system and then given them all your details to sign up with a username.
Finally having been through all that the next appointment available locally is November. They aren't helping themselves.
To start with you cannot even just find the local donation centres until you have been through a painful "queue-it" wait system and then given them all your details to sign up with a username.
Finally having been through all that the next appointment available locally is November. They aren't helping themselves.
Ean218 said:
With all the recent publicity about a shortage of blood I thought I would try to donate.
To start with you cannot even just find the local donation centres until you have been through a painful "queue-it" wait system and then given them all your details to sign up with a username.
Finally having been through all that the next appointment available locally is November. They aren't helping themselves.
I think you’ve got to ignore the system and focus on the reason for doing it.To start with you cannot even just find the local donation centres until you have been through a painful "queue-it" wait system and then given them all your details to sign up with a username.
Finally having been through all that the next appointment available locally is November. They aren't helping themselves.
Like yourself I got delusional with the system and stopped for ten years, I’ve just restarted and now I’m back donating just book the next appointment straight away.
I did get annoyed at them texting me to tell me how desperate they were for my blood, only to then cancel my appointment twice and one of those I was already driving to it.
Edited by BlindedByTheLights on Saturday 27th July 10:50
Ean218 said:
With all the recent publicity about a shortage of blood I thought I would try to donate.
To start with you cannot even just find the local donation centres until you have been through a painful "queue-it" wait system and then given them all your details to sign up with a username.
Finally having been through all that the next appointment available locally is November. They aren't helping themselves.
Iv been on a break from giving blood due to a surgery earlier in the year so they stopped contact for 3 months.To start with you cannot even just find the local donation centres until you have been through a painful "queue-it" wait system and then given them all your details to sign up with a username.
Finally having been through all that the next appointment available locally is November. They aren't helping themselves.
They are now back to hounding me weekly with texts, emails and phone calls urgently needing my blood apparently.
Yet when you go to book online, next available appointments are months away and always at 2,30 on a Tuesday afternoon. Or the option the person who called me last week suggested was i drive 30 miles for an evening donation, erm no your alright thanks.
I know it's a good deed donating, but im not going out my way to do it because they can't provide enough slots for people willing to give their time after work for a free biscuit. Its certainly got worse in the last 15 years iv been donating.
My dad remembers the time he had a phone call, can you donate now? He replied his lunch hour was in another hours time, they said that would be too late, so he took an early lunch.
Never heard the outcome, but it's little stories like that that make me keep going back, your blood is going to those who really need it.
Never heard the outcome, but it's little stories like that that make me keep going back, your blood is going to those who really need it.
Does anyone else find it very easy to book a donation? There seem to be lots struggling but to be honest I just book for 3 months hence as soon as I get home from a donation, in the most convenient centre at 750 am (opening time), 805 if someone's beaten me to it.
Maybe being within striking distance of a donation centre helps, but the other smaller centres seem just as available, albeit with shorter opening times.
Maybe being within striking distance of a donation centre helps, but the other smaller centres seem just as available, albeit with shorter opening times.
I think your location plays a massive part.
I registered and booked my first appointment on Thursday afternoon. I'm going to a venue about 10 miles away on Wednesday. There was a date in our home town in October but we're on holiday.
Mrs J registered and booked on Thursday evening and managed to get the appointment 5 minutes after me. She did have to wait 40 minutes in a queue but it was easy for both of us.
I registered and booked my first appointment on Thursday afternoon. I'm going to a venue about 10 miles away on Wednesday. There was a date in our home town in October but we're on holiday.
Mrs J registered and booked on Thursday evening and managed to get the appointment 5 minutes after me. She did have to wait 40 minutes in a queue but it was easy for both of us.
sleepezy said:
Does anyone else find it very easy to book a donation? There seem to be lots struggling but to be honest I just book for 3 months hence as soon as I get home from a donation, in the most convenient centre at 750 am (opening time), 805 if someone's beaten me to it.
Maybe being within striking distance of a donation centre helps, but the other smaller centres seem just as available, albeit with shorter opening times.
Maybe being within striking distance of a donation centre helps, but the other smaller centres seem just as available, albeit with shorter opening times.
Mr_J said:
I think your location plays a massive part.
I registered and booked my first appointment on Thursday afternoon. I'm going to a venue about 10 miles away on Wednesday. There was a date in our home town in October but we're on holiday.
Mrs J registered and booked on Thursday evening and managed to get the appointment 5 minutes after me. She did have to wait 40 minutes in a queue but it was easy for both of us.
I was going to ask if location could be playing a part. I'm in East Lancs, I just signed up to the app and booked an appointment a couple of weeks in advance for my first donation. After donating I just book another one for the earliest date I can donate again. Aside from one donation where I was told I couldn't donate, which I think was more down to an overly pedantic nurse, every donation has been a positive (pun intended) experienceI registered and booked my first appointment on Thursday afternoon. I'm going to a venue about 10 miles away on Wednesday. There was a date in our home town in October but we're on holiday.
Mrs J registered and booked on Thursday evening and managed to get the appointment 5 minutes after me. She did have to wait 40 minutes in a queue but it was easy for both of us.
I've found this a massive pain to try and do. I made two successful donations a few years ago then one was rejected because my haemoglobin was a point too low, then rejected for months as I'd been to Brazil (Sao Paulo only - not the bloody Amazon) then they couldn't find a vein it was pumping so slowly we had to give up. There was another screw up with equipment on another appointment so i decided to stop donating, at least for the time being.
They've been hounding me with phone calls even though I've told them I want to stop three times. I've had to block their number now, which seems to give them the option to leave voicemails so now they've left three voicemails as well. It's like being stalked and really drains the goodwill.
They've been hounding me with phone calls even though I've told them I want to stop three times. I've had to block their number now, which seems to give them the option to leave voicemails so now they've left three voicemails as well. It's like being stalked and really drains the goodwill.
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