The incredibly supportive nature of the NHS Blood & Transplant unit
Quality service concealed by falling donor numbers
I gave blood for the first time last week. Having exhausted my list of reasons not to donate (lack of time, mild fear of needles etc.), some recent family circumstances reinforced that I had no excuse.
Turns out my blood type is A- ! From what I remember of Standard Grade biology this means my red blood cells are covered in ‘A’ antigens, with ‘anti-B’ antibodies floating around in my plasma. I also lack the RhD antigen, which accounts for the negative part. As a result, I am in rare company, as only 7% of the donor population have the A- blood type. Hopefully my 470ml proves useful.
I have many gripes with the NHS, but the support given throughout the blood donation process was first class. Registering online was simple, as was booking an appointment. I received a pre-donation call to provide reassurance and answer any outstanding questions. On the day, I was in and out of the donation centre within the hour, bloated from complimentary tea and biscuits! Afterwards I got a congratulatory text (see below), and within the week I was sent a thank-you letter enclosing my blood donor card.
The donor service is run by the NHS Blood & Transplant (NHSBT) unit. It is clear they have put a lot of thought into the end-to-end management of the donation process. Last year the unit appointed its first Chief Digital Officer, which speaks volumes for how seriously it takes the user experience.
Despite these efforts, blood donation in the UK has been on a worryingly downward trend.
Data released in 2015 showed the number of new blood donors has fallen by 40%. That is, there were 40% fewer new volunteers across 2014/15 compared with a decade ago.
In the age of Facebook and hyper social-awareness, I find this unbelievable.
Reasons cited for the decline range from longer working hours to the increasing popularity of tattoos. The former meaning people have less time for voluntary activities like blood donation; the latter precluding people from donating for safety reasons.
Growing misconceptions regarding the blood donation process is another factor. Results of a recent NHSBT survey showed that approximately one in eight respondents believed ‘synthetic blood’ is created to meet national demand. This is extremely concerning. Blood does not grow on trees.
The same survey found that among respondents that had given blood, the majority said donating made them feel worthwhile. Blood donation is undoubtedly an opportunity for smugness (hence this blog), but there has been fairly rigorous academic debate surrounding the primary social motivations. In reality, whether you are driven by altruism or benevolence need not matter. The donor registration link is here…
