CLICK HERE to begin the process of donating blood.
Why donate blood?
To put it simply, blood donation helps to save lives. Blood donation is the lifeline to patients who need to receive blood in an emergency or as treatment for a long-term illness.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), are the special health authority, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care, to collect and supply blood, organ, tissue and stem cells for hospitals in England. NHS Blood and Transplant require blood donations from donors of all ethnic backgrounds, to ensure they can match the right blood donations to the patients who need it.
Whilst it is important for blood donors of all backgrounds to regularly donate, there continues to be a need for more Black donors because of a rise in demand for some rare blood types that are more common in people of Black heritage.
SICKLE CELL
Why is blood donation important for those living with Sickle Cell?
Sickle cell patients rely on carefully matched blood transfusions to treat their illness, but there’s a shortage of suitable donors. This is why it’s important to raise awareness and encourage the African Caribbean and mixed-race communities to be regular blood donors, to ensure there is enough matched blood to meet demand and help the 15,000 sickle cell patients living in the UK.
For more information on sickle cell, please visit our FAQ’s page here
Become a blood donor TODAY
Alternatively, you can book online here
Things to note:
To be eligible to become a blood donor, you will need to:
- be generally fit and well
- be aged between 17 and 65
- weigh between 7 stone 12 lbs (50kg) and 25 stone (158kg)
- have suitable veins (NHS Blood and Transplant staff will check this before you donate)
- meet all donor eligibility criteria (NHS Blood and Transplant staff will check this with you before you donate)
For more information about becoming a blood donor, please check our ‘all questions answered’ page here.
“Information included taken and adapted from NHS Blood & Transplant”
