The National Blood Service

The National Blood Service

The National Blood Service uses the premises of Paignton (Palace Avenue) Methodist Church about twelve times a year, usually one day a month, for Blood Donor Sessions.

national blood service

Hospitals need the equivalent of 10,000 blood donations every day. Blood is used not just in accidents and emergencies but in the treatment of cancer and burns, in childbirth, heart surgery and in the transplantation of organs.

The development of new medical techniques means that demand is rising. The continued success of these and other treatments depends on regular blood donations from people like you.

Almost anyone aged 17 to 60 years and in good health can give blood. So, if you've not donated before, or have not donated for some time, why not contact us today.
(National Blood Service, FREEPOST (BS3789), Westbury on Trym, Bristol, BS12 5BR)

It's all kinds of blood we need - not just rare ones. In fact, the commoner the blood type, the more we need.

Your session will last about an hour in all. When you arrive, we will ask you a few routine questions about your health. If it's your first visit, these will be quite detailed, but for regular donors it's a much shorter interview. It's very important - for your own well-being and that of patients who receive your blood - to answer these questions fully and honestly.

We will then take a drop of blood from your finger to make sure you are not anaemic. If all is well we will take your donation.

This only takes about ten minutes during which time we will collect 470ml (about three quarters of a pint) of blood. Most people hardly feel a thing, after a short rest, a drink and biscuits, you will be up and ready to go.

Pictures Taken During A Blood Donor Session At Paignton (Palace Avenue) Methodist Church

Click on an image to see a larger picture

Blood Donor Session Blood Donor Session

Blood Donor Session

Donor's 50th Donation 

national blood service

How you can help

The National Blood Service welcomes eleven different kinds of voluntary help, but needs vary around the country whether its making tea at a session, recruiting more donors or simply raising awareness. If you want to try and do something really amazing to help the National Blood Service, why not see if you can find enough people to donate and organise your own session. This could be possibly at your work place, or in the local neighbourhood, and you would need to be able to get people to give blood three times a year. There are strict guidelines, but it's not impossible to do. For all information about organising donation sessions or helping in other ways, please write to: Volunteers, FREEPOST, National Blood Service, 75 Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 7YB.

Visit the National Blood Service website: http://www.blood.co.uk/

Date: Time:
Monday 05 December 2011 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Thursday 12 January 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 10 February 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 02 March 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Tuesday 08 May 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Monday 28 May 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Monday 16 July 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 29 June 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 10 August 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 14 September 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 05 October 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 26 October 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45
Friday 07 December 2012 12.45 to 15.15 and 16.45 to 18.45

[Any dates that are still awaiting final confirmation to go ahead are in grey]

Donate regularly and save Lives

national blood service

'O' We Need You

If you have group 'O' blood, you're in good company. Almost half the population of the UK shares your blood type.

Knowing this, many people are tempted to believe that, because group 'O' blood is so common, there's no urgency for them to give blood themselves on a regular basis.

After all, one in every two donors that walk through the door are boring old 'O's, aren't they? I'll be thanked politely for my contribution, but what they're really waiting for is a rare 'AB' or an exotic 'B' negative specimen.

More people need group 'O' blood than any other type

In fact, there is a crying need for 'O' blood for this very reason. It is precisely because there are so many people with group 'O' blood, that it is in greatest demand - and it is therefore important that high numbers of donations are received.

ALL Group 'O' blood is special

There are other very good reasons why Group 'O' blood is so popular. The most versatile and friendly of all the blood groups, it can be safely introduced to anyone, anywhere - it is, in short, a good mixer.

Group 'O' blood can be given to more patients

Group 'O' can help people with other blood groups, whereas exclusive 'A', 'B' or 'AB' types will not mingle with each other. So, although doctors will normally only transfuse blood of the same group as the patient's, if there is a shortage of, say, group 'B' blood, group 'O' may be safely given to a group 'B' patient instead.

Group 'O' negative blood is the blood for emergencies

Group 'O' is also special in that, in rhesus negative form, it can be given to both rhesus positive and rhesus negative people.

In an emergency, when lives may depend on transfusions and there may be no time to test a patient's blood group, 'O' rhesus negative blood is a life saver.

Group 'O' blood can save the Lives of newborn babies

Babies born with blood disorders may need a transfusion right away, but it can be difficult to determine their blood group.

Here again, 'O' rhesus negative blood is of crucial importance since it may be used to transfuse newborn infants or even babies in the womb.

Group 'O' blood may seem ordinary but to us it is very special

'O' is not for ordinary

The National Blood Service cannot afford to be short of any type of blood - common or rare.

Hospitals in England alone require 10,000 donations of blood a day, blood not just for transfusions but for a whole range of uses, from the treatment of burns to the prevention of infection.

A plentiful and regular supply of group 'O' blood is the lynchpin of this service: - 'O' blood lies at its very heart.

So don't worry that, as an 'O' blood donor, we'll think you're too commonplace. 'O' is not for Ordinary. To us you couldn't be more special.

Becoming a regular blood donor will only take up a little of your time. And your donations will help provide the precious gift of life to someone else.

If you have group 'O' blood - either rhesus positive or rhesus negative - please become a regular donor.

By making every effort to attend when called, you could he saving a life - perhaps even your own one day.

Donate regularly and save Lives

national blood service