I gave blood today, and besides feeling like a national hero I also got to wondering why there's a blood shortage in the UK....
NHS Blood and Transplant recently put out an amber alert signifying a blood shortage in the UK.
This means the usual six days of stock the NHS likes in reserve are under threat and hospitals have to start taking measures to use less blood wherever possible.
There are a few underlying reasons for why there is a shortage... such as people having got out of the habit of donating since Covid messed everything up, but also the lack of staffing to collect blood according to the NHSBT....
So many sicknesses meaning there sometimes aren't qualified people to collect and appointments have to be cancelled - by the NHS!
I don't think it's lack of people wanting to supply blood....
It took 50 minutes for me to be called to give blood suggesting a lack of processing power on the part of the NHS...
This is born out by the stats (which are always trustworthy of course, not!).
According to one recent YouGov poll 7% of the UK population say they are currently blood donors.
Based on an adult population of 40M this equates to 2.8M pints of blood... and many of these give more than once a year.
The average donation is a pint and the NHS says it needs 1.8 M pints a year.
So according to that YouGov survey either 1M donations are going missing or are corrupt or some of those respondents are telling porky pies. I mean the socially desirable answer is for them to give blood.
The nurse also told me that after 30 days they get rid of the supplies if unused, so maybe that's it too, and contaminated samples....?
It's still worth donating, so I'll be back in November!
I got a free Club mint chocolate biscuit after too, I'm easily pleased!
In the US, the Red Cross is always saying there’s a blood shortage. Don’t know if there really is, or if it’s just guilt marketing.
Yeah, I should go in and donate more than just a few times a year even if I have a common (A+) blood type. 😅
I don't think there is! Probably just trying to keep ahead!
Discrimination, feeling undervalued and Long Covid may be part of the picture re: NHS staffing shortages, while Long Covid (affecting around two million in the UK) makes you ineligible to donate, shrinking the pool of donors. Then there's the Covid-cautious population, which is probably higher than the government's official estimate of the clinically vulnerable, who might once have been regular donors but might not want to risk going to a healthcare setting where everyone is now unmasked, given the high likelihood of a hospital-acquired Covid infection and its much higher mortality rate.
Hi yes fair points about the Covid legacy!
Recently unemployed here. I have time. I think I shall go donate. Thanks for the reminder.
It's worth doing - a little something for others!
The short answer is vampires! I heard a whole coven moved in. And they apparently very sophisticated and don't hunt and kill anymore. They are pretty soft these days. I blame twilight! So they hit the blood banks hard!
But in all seriousness, good on you for making a difference! !LUV
@revisesociology, @mimismartypants(1/3) sent LUV. | connect | community | HiveWiki | NFT | <>< daily
! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoOh yes I hadn't factored those in, my bad!
Took me a while to realise that was your left arm, and not your right twisted at a really weird angle!
I should get back to donating blood...
It does look a bit odd, doesn't it!
It's a while since I donated, but they do not seem to do many local sessions. At some previous places I worked they would collect you by bus or even bring in a mobile unit. They ought to do that at the current place as a lot of people work there.
A Club is a good reward. Used to be bourbons or custard creams.
The mobile van would certainly be more efficient, no tea though!
They advised me to book my next appointment NOW - it's that popular! Apparently because they've closed local centres so now the remaining ones are in demand!
Are there any other benefits than financial?
I think in some countries people are gettinng cheaper tickets for trains etc
When I was younger, I often went to donate blood. And he was a good donor. I felt that I was doing this for the sake of good and useful deeds. I like to help people. Now I'm over 50 years old and I don't donate blood. Thank you very much for an interesting and useful post. Good luck and great success in your business. I read your posts with pleasure, when you bought a lot of land and lived in Spartan conditions, doing rural work, it was great. You are a strong person.
Good to hear, it's a little something we can all do!