Dear all

Firstly a massive thank you to those who give up their precious time, sit on uncomfortable chairs, in draughty church halls to save a life. Simple, isn't it ?

Let's face it, if we had 'nice' chairs, you would moan that we were wasting money, we are part of the NHS after all.
If the use of blood was so predictable, we could ask you all to form an orderly queue at an alloted time every 16 weeks, but it isn't. We have an appointment system now, which has many faults, but it's a good start.
The reason we tell people we can't take their blood any more is largely for their own safety. If you are on medication, it means something in you needs fixing, and taking your blood will shift the balance of your amazing body. Think of the headlines if you gave blood whilst on medication and something horrible happened ? Who would be the baddy ? Yes, the blood service would be. We can't take that risk.

Also think of the effect of your medication on someone who is hanging on to life - it could mean they don't make it because the medication in your blood affects them negatively. We're not being mean when we turn you away, our decisions are based purely on science and medical advice. That includes the inability to accept from gay men. We are sorry, but that is how we are advised to operate.

It's not the National Blood service you're doing this for, it's not the Government, it's for someone like you who needs blood to live until tomorrow.

Do you think you could tell a dying man to his face that 'you would have given blood, but the chair was too hard,' and 'I couldn't be bothered to wait as I wanted to watch the telly'. No, I didn't think so.

We need 8000 units every single day to meet hospital demand, blood stocks are currently lower than they should be so please. would you all wise up, give a little respect, stop moaning and give blood. Please :o)

(NBS employee who yes, does give blood and is pretty fed up of people criticising the NBS for doing what we do; saving lives every day)

I think William's story is a really awful one. In my experience, the Blood Service on the whole does a good job, but when it comes to explaining why some donors are turned down, it fails. I've often wondered why, for example, gay men are prohibited from giving blood, but have never found a reasonable explanation. The Blood Service, in my opinion, needs to try harder when it comes to communicating with those people who put themselves to considerable inconvenience for purely altruistic ends.

I made over 60 donations of blood over a period of thirty odd years. Got all the badges,wore them with pride....nay..... smugness. Tried not to miss any donor sessions as I believed (without medical proof) that I benefitted from my blood letting by having my blood sweetened as the body restored the amount of blood in my system to it's original level. What a blow it it was to be told that my blood would no longer be required when I informed the blood transfusion authority that I was now on medication to control high blood pressure. I was deflated, and there must be thousands like me who would want to donate but are not acceptable. Is it absolutely necessary to turn us away? I've no doubt that every blood transfusion service in the land is , like my local service in the West of Scotland always crying out for more blood, for more donors, pleas which fall upon the deaf ears of the apathetic majority.

I went on the website - rather scarily named blood.co.uk

No sessions close to home that I can get to without taking a day's leave (grump grump - my town's population is 70,000 plus, you'd think it was big enough for there to be weekend sessions) - but several very close to work, many of which do allow you to book a time slot, according to the Blood Service website.

Have sent a booking for December 8th - just waiting confirmation. Better dig me card out.
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... they nearly thought I am Vlad the Impaler (yep, I was totally honest)

Vlad ;), I like your honesty, and frankly I agree with your comments. If you're busy , giving blood is a bit of a pain, if you'll excuse the pun. Nonetheless it's got to be done. My old excuse of having been to Africa (disqualifying me from giving) doesn't apply any more, since I've been back for over two years. I'm booking today. See you in the church hall...

I used to be a blood donor. I even got my bronze card (think I got up to about 3 bodies-full of blood worth).

So why am I not I a blood donor any more?

Because it's too damn inconvenient, that's why.

If you work for a large organisation, then the Blood Service will supply a mobile wagon for sufficient donors - where your time slot is booked - in, bleed, out - and away you go. Done that. Fabulous, love it. Unfortunately my current organisation only has one employee - er, that would be me.

If you live reasonably near to a large hospital, then you may be able to book a time to go up there and give. Done that too. Sunday mornings! - it was a bit painful getting up before 11 am, but not *that* bad, and I'd be in/out within half-an-hour to 40 minutes, depending on whether I had coffee with my biscuit or squash. Unfortunately, I live 130 miles away from there now and the nearest hospital is an inconvenient distance away.

The Blood Service comes fairly close to my work on a reasonably regular basis. Two hour time slots, afternoon and early evening. Where I can queue for flaming ages.

I'm happy to give blood - no, really. As I'm a girly, I've even convinced myself that it helps me lose weight (less blood = less sugar take up, blah blah blah - totally false, but leave me my little illusion please). However, I'm far too nasty to want to hang around for blinkin' ages in a normally drafty church or community hall on an uncomfortable chair. The ultimate insult at one session was having to take a numbered ticket as if I was waiting to buy something at a supermarket deli counter, rather than being treated as, actually, someone rather special, being willing to give blood - even if not that unusual - all donors are special, I'm just less tolerant.

It's good to see that so many people want to be generous and donate - but the system sucked when I was a regular donor. Of course people who just turn up shouldn't be turned away. But existing donors could surely be fast-tracked with a little effort (after making this comment on the Blood Service feedback forms 6 donations in a row I got bored). Make giving easy and pleasant and more people will do it.

Perhaps my experiences are very out of date. But the Blood Service hasn't told me so, so far anyway. But hey, this article worked - I'm now feeling guilty enough to give them a call and check.

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... they nearly thought I am Vlad the Impaler (yep, I was totally honest)