Step 2: What to do on the day you donate
There are a few steps to take before volunteering to give blood.
Register your details
Once you arrive at the donor clinic, we will need to register your details. A member of our team will share with you the Donor Health Check Questionnaire to complete, which will give us more information about your general health, travel and lifestyle, and make sure that you’re fit and healthy to donate blood.
Check your iron levels
We will take a drop of blood from your fingertip to measure your haemoglobin (iron) level and checks it is within the acceptable range.
Give blood
Now it’s time to give blood! Giving blood typically takes between five and ten minutes to complete.
Step 3: Rest up
Once you have finished donating, it’s time for a rest with a drink and a biscuit (or two!), which is everyone’s favourite part, knowing you’ve done something incredible.
How often can you donate blood?
There are different waiting times for females and males who are giving blood. Male donors must wait for a minimum of 12 weeks between each blood donation and can give blood up to four times in a calendar year.
Females must wait for a minimum of 16 full weeks between each blood donation and can give blood up to three times in a calendar year.