08 December 2008 13:47

SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE

Are you interested in helping the National Blood Service to save lives? The blood donation session will be held on Thursday, 18th December at Wrexham Industrial Estate.

If you are interested in enrolling as a blood donor but you can’t make this particular session, you can enrol online at www.blood.co.uk

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DOES IT HURT?
No! Almost 2 million regular donors will confirm that it is a painless and simple process and your body replaces the donated blood in a matter of hours.

For a full explanation of what is involved in giving blood, please visit www.blood.co.uk/pages/b5simple.html and click on “the virtual session”.

WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT?
You will get the proud sense of achievement that you have done something that currently only 5% of the eligible population do! A single donation can help up to 3 people and your donation will help local hospitals to keep on saving lives.
Don’t forget you will also get a cup of tea and a biscuit!

DO I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO ATTEND ON THIS SESSION?
We highly recommend that you do.

HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?
Please contact our appointment hotline on 0845 7 711 711

CAN I STILL ATTEND IF I DON'T MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?
Since we have been offering donors the opportunity to specify the time they would like to attend sessions by making pre-booked appointments, this system has proved very popular. As a result of this ever-increasing demand, we highly recommend you take advantage of this system to benefit from a donation time to suit your working day and a greatly reduced queueing time.

You can attend the session without, however, you may need to queue longer than other donors who have made appointments.

HOW LONG WILL I BE AWAY FROM WORK?
If you are a new donor, the whole thing should take no more than 1 hour.

WILL I BE ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK NORMALLY AFTER GIVING BLOOD?
After you have given blood, you should take it easy for at least 10 minutes and enjoy some light refreshments before you go. You should also drink plenty of (non-alcoholic!) fluids and leave your plaster on for at least 6 hours. Take care of your arm by avoiding heavy lifting for the rest of the day.

WHAT CRITERIA ARE THERE TO BECOME A BLOOD DONOR?
A Donor Health Check Form is available online at www.blood.co.uk.. For any particular medical queries, please call 0845 7 711 711. However, in general, anyone aged 17-60 in good health can become a blood donor.

WHY IS MY ETHNICITY IMPORTANT?
Some blood types are more prevalent in people of certain ethnic backgrounds. Types B and AB, for example, are more common amongst people of Asian or African and Caribbean heritage. We need to ensure that this diversity is reflected in our blood stocks in order to meet demand of the full range of blood types.

DO I NEED TO KNOW MY BLOOD TYPE?
No. If you don’t already know your blood type, you will find out the first time you donate.

IT IS INCONVENIENT FOR ME TO ATTEND ON THIS OCCASION. CAN I GIVE BLOOD ANYWHERE ELSE?
We hold blood donor sessions almost everyday around the region.

CONTACT:
To find a session near your home, please call 0845 7 711 711.
Or
Jillian Jones, Donor Relations Assistant. 01978 366209

THANK YOU FOR BEING A LIFE – SAVER!

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