I gave blood for the first time when I was 19. A friend dragged me along and I genuinely nearly passed out in the waiting room before they had even called my name. Reader, I was fine. Ten minutes later I was eating a biscuit and feeling oddly proud of myself. I have been going back ever since.
I tell you this not to make it all about me, but because I suspect a lot of people are in the same position I was. They mean to donate. They have thought about it. They just never quite get round to it, or they are a bit nervous about what actually happens. So this is my attempt to cut through the noise and give you the honest picture of why it matters and what you can expect.
The numbers are pretty sobering
The NHS needs around 1.6 million units of blood every year in England alone. That works out at roughly 6,000 units every single day. And yet only about 4% of people who are eligible to donate actually do. Think about that for a second. Four in every hundred.
Blood cannot be manufactured. There is no factory producing it, no synthetic substitute that works the same way. It comes entirely from people who choose to give it. Which means every single shortfall has a real consequence somewhere down the line, for a real person sitting in a hospital bed.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) manages the whole process in England, from collecting and testing donations to getting them to hospitals. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland run their own equivalent services but the need is equally pressing across all four nations.
Who actually needs it?
This is where it gets personal, because it is probably not who you imagine. Yes, donated blood goes to road accident victims and emergency surgery patients. But those are the dramatic cases. The quieter, ongoing need is just as significant.
Cancer patients often need regular transfusions throughout their treatment because chemotherapy and radiotherapy can suppress the bone marrow’s ability to produce healthy red blood cells. Someone with leukaemia, for example, might need blood every few weeks for months on end. People with sickle cell disease, a genetic condition that affects tens of thousands of people in the UK, can require transfusions throughout their entire lives. Premature babies in neonatal units need tiny, carefully matched donations. Women who lose a lot of blood during or after childbirth rely on it too.
Most of us will either need blood at some point, or know someone who does. It is less abstract than it seems.
What is actually in it for you?
Look, the main reason to donate is to help someone else. But it would be dishonest not to mention that there are some genuine upsides for donors too.
Before every session you get a mini health check that most people never bother to get otherwise. They test your haemoglobin levels with a small finger prick, check your blood pressure, and take your pulse. It is a basic snapshot, but it has flagged things for people that they genuinely did not know about. Think of it as a free MOT that comes with the biscuits.
There is also some evidence that regular donation may have modest cardiovascular benefits, possibly by reducing the thickness of the blood. The research is not conclusive, and that should not be your primary motivation, but it is not nothing. More reliably, your body responds to donation by producing fresh red blood cells, essentially giving your circulatory system a gentle nudge. Blood volume typically returns to normal within a couple of days, and your red blood cells are fully replenished within three to four weeks.
And then there is the simple fact that doing something genuinely good for someone else tends to make you feel better. That is not fluffy nonsense, it is well-established psychology. Regular donors often describe the whole thing as oddly addictive once they get started.
Can you actually give blood?
Most healthy adults aged 17 and over can donate, provided they weigh at least 50kg and are feeling well on the day. Some medical conditions, certain medications, and recent travel to particular countries can mean you need to wait, but the criteria are reviewed regularly and have become significantly more inclusive over the years.
A notable change came in 2021 when the blanket deferral for men who have sex with men was replaced with an individualised risk assessment, bringing the criteria in line with those applied to everyone else. This opened up donation to a much larger group of people.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible, the quickest way to check is the online tool at give.blood.co.uk. It takes about three minutes and will tell you straight away. Alternatively you can ring 0300 123 23 23.
What actually happens when you go?
Right, this is the bit people are usually most curious about, especially if they have never been before.
You arrive, check in, and fill in a short health questionnaire. Then a member of staff does your finger prick test and checks your blood pressure and pulse. All of that takes maybe 15 minutes. You then have a brief private conversation with a nurse to go over your answers to the questionnaire, just to make sure everything is fine on the day.
The actual donation is much quicker than most people expect. The needle goes in, you lie back, and roughly eight to ten minutes later it is done. About 470ml is taken, which is less than a pint. You will not feel much, other than the initial needle, and staff are very good at keeping you comfortable and relaxed.
After that you sit in the refreshments area for at least ten minutes, have a drink and a snack, and then you are free to go. Total time from walking in to walking out is usually around an hour. Most people drive there and back, go to work afterwards, carry on with their day.
Blood type matters more than people realise
You have probably heard of O negative being the universal donor type, and it is true that O negative blood can be given to virtually anyone in an emergency. This makes it incredibly valuable, and O negative donors are always in short supply relative to demand. But every blood type is needed, and some of the rarer types are genuinely difficult to source.
If you have never donated before, you will not know your blood type yet, and that is fine. NHSBT tests your blood after your first donation and sends you your blood type, which a lot of people find surprisingly useful to know.
There is a particular shortage of Black donors
This is something that does not get talked about enough. Sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects people of African and Caribbean heritage, often requires patients to have regular blood transfusions. For these transfusions to work well and avoid complications, the blood needs to be closely matched at a molecular level, and that matching is much easier when the donor and recipient share a similar ethnic background.
The demand for blood from Black donors consistently outstrips supply. NHSBT has been working hard to address this, but the gap remains significant. If you are of Black African or Black Caribbean heritage and you are eligible to give blood, your donation is genuinely more valuable than you might think.
A few practical tips before you go
Nothing complicated here, but these things do make a difference. Drink more water than usual in the 24 hours before your appointment as being well hydrated makes the whole process faster and easier. Eat a proper meal beforehand, ideally not something very fatty as that can affect your blood, but do not go in on an empty stomach or you are likely to feel rough afterwards. Wear a top with sleeves you can roll up easily. That is genuinely about all you need to think about.
After you donate, keep drinking fluids through the rest of the day and skip the gym or any hard exercise. The plaster can come off after a few hours. Almost everyone feels completely normal by the time they get home.
How often can you go back?
In England, men can donate whole blood every 12 weeks and women every 16 weeks, up to a maximum of four times a year. The different intervals account for the fact that women are more susceptible to iron deficiency. Your body fully replenishes everything it needs in between, so there is no lasting impact on your health.
If you want to donate more frequently you can look into giving platelets or plasma instead, both of which have shorter recovery periods. Platelet donors can give every two weeks in some cases. The appointment takes longer but the need is just as pressing.
Booking is easier than you think
Head to give.blood.co.uk or download the Give Blood app and you can find your nearest session, check availability, and book an appointment in a few minutes. Sessions run in dedicated donor centres, hospitals, and community venues, with evenings and weekends available at many locations. You can also call 0300 123 23 23 if you would rather speak to someone.
So what is stopping you?
One donation can help save up to three lives. It costs you nothing. It takes under an hour. The needle is much less dramatic than you are imagining. And at the end of it you get a biscuit and the quiet knowledge that you have done something that genuinely matters.
Healthy living is not just about what you put into your own body. It is also about what you contribute to the people around you. This one is about as direct as it gets.
Book your appointment. Someone is waiting.
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