It only takes half an hour to save a life

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Where you can give blood locally

Give blood at:

Ealing Town Hall

Wed 3rd May (13:45 to 16:15 and 17:00 to 19:15)

Tues 30th May (09:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 16:15)

W13 - Sunday 14th May at St John's Ambulance HQ, Loveday Road, 09:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 16:15 .

The National Blood Service is a part of the National Health Service, which collects voluntary donations of blood from the general public. They aim to encourage existing donors to give three times a year, tempting them with the free cup of tea and biscuits and the knowledge that they've done something worthwhile today.

The UK needs 8,000 units of blood every day to meet the demand of our hospitals. The increase in our ability to treat patients and the development of new types of treatment means that the demand for blood keeps on rising. Blood can also be subdivided into its main components - red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma - which are used in treating all kinds of conditions, including leukaemia and anaemia. Unfortunately red cells only last 35 days and platelets are only good for five days. That's why the National Blood Service needs a continuing supply throughout the year.

Blood comes in four main types - O, A, B and AB. Group O is the most common, both around the world and in the UK, which means it's in high demand. The best place to find group O in the UK is in the north of England, while the South of England has a greater occurance of group A as a result of European invasions over the centuries. Group B is more commonly found among the Asian or Chinese communities.

So who can donate blood? Most people between the ages of 17 and 60 can become a new blood donor, and regular donors who are still in good health can still donate right up to the age of 70. The National Blood Service website has a set of questions to check if you can give blood just now. It's worth spending a couple of minutes going through them to save yourself a wasted journey. The website has everything you could possibly want to know, including a virtual tour showing exactly what happens when you go to donate.

Last year 2.1 million donations were collected from about 1.6 million donors. It might sound a lot, but it is only 5% of the population, giving two or three times a year. If you or anyone close to you has ever been in an accident or needed blood, you'll know how important blood donors are. It's easy - just type in your postcode or area to find out when the next local sessions will be held. It takes less than half an hour, so what's stopping you?

 

 

 

May 5, 2006