National Blood Services (NBS) Reviews

To start with I should say that everyone who can should give blood. It is easy to do and helps to save lives. Getting started - the best thing to do would be to go on www.blood.co.uk to register and book an appointment near where you live/work. On your first blood donation you are given a lot more detailed information to ensure you are ...  Read the complete review

Giving blood is simple and only takes up a few minutes of your time, and could help to save someone's life, so why not give it a go? == The Procedure == I've given blood at several venues around the country and the seating arrangements and bed arrangements are different in each, so I will just use the arrangements ...  Read the complete review

Giving blood wasn't easy for me. I'd promised myself for a few years that I'd 'find the time' and that I'd 'pop in on the way home', but the reality was that I was terrified. Time after time I'd stroll casually past the donation centre, 'forgetting' my promise to myself. Years on, I regret not donating as soon as I had the chance. I'm 22 now, and ...  Read the complete review

OK I'll hold my hands up, I don't actively enjoy the process of giving blood, but maybe it would be more worrying if I did... I first gave blood when I was 18 and have donated many times since then. The main thing which ruins my track record is travelling to some dodgy destinations, and the waiting period which follows before you can donate again. ...  Read the complete review

Giving Blood - everyone has seen the adverts, everyone has seen the extra plugs when a specific blood Group is low in stock, how many people give. My first time I gave, I was a little reluctant. I had no idea what to expect. But I got a very friendly welcome and off I went. First of all, any people thinking of giving blood, ...  Read the complete review

--- What? --- The National Blood Service is part of the NHS and collects, stores and delivers blood from donors to unwell patients to save lives. The NBS travels the length and breadth of the country to find new donors and collect more from existing donors. --- Why? --- For the sake of around 20 minutes (not ...  Read the complete review

This review is only about what to expect when making a donation, and not about what happens to the blood etc. Firstly, can you donate? You cannot ever give blood if; You have HIV/AIDS, heb B or hep C, Are a man who has had sex with a man, You have ever been a prostitute or injected drugs, Have had a blood ...  Read the complete review

I wanted to write a review on the blood service as it is something that is very close to my heart and I hope that it is something that will encourage others to do it more often. I've only given blood 3 times but I plan to do it many many more times because for me it is my way of giving something back. You see, over the years my dad has been ...  Read the complete review

FYI: This is not a review of how the blood service was set up, what it's purpose is, or what happens to the blood after donation. This is a review of what can happen to your body before, during and after giving blood. I have been giving blood for about 6 years now and have recently given my 16th pint. For a regular donor such as ...  Read the complete review

People who have received a blood transfusion can no longer give blood, this policy has been introduced over fears related to CJD. The NBS will be constantly reviewing this policy and will change it if, and when, scientific evidence suggests it is safe to do so. There have been a few changes to the blood donation system. Regular ...  Read the complete review

I am a life time whole red blood donor, with an accredied 136 units and Wedgewood Plate presented at the Connaught Rooms in London. I started blood donation mainly in response to the tragic loss of two young male relatives from Leukaemia-one being trained as a nurse and football club captain, losing his life at 22.The other relative a ...  Read the complete review

Roughly three times a year, I do something amazing. In my opinion, of course, I do something amazing a lot more often than that, but that's how often people agree with me. For I am one of the 5% of people who are able to that do actually give blood. Admittedly, the National Blood Service does knock out a lot of people who might be able ...  Read the complete review

I'm now just over 25 donations for giving blood and each time I still feel good about doing it. Theres no real pain involved and it takes about at the most an hour of your time. Which is a small price to pay when you consider you could be saving somebodyelses life or someones child. On arrival at the blood centres that travel the ...  Read the complete review

I’ve been a blood donor for quite a few years now, eight to be more precise. I’ve been donating long enough to reach another mile stone, 25 donations, a pin badge, certificate and a brand new donor card in silver telling everyone that I’m on my way to gold, my 50th donation. Actually, I have now clocked up 26 donations and as long as I’m fit and ...  Read the complete review

I also have a donation card for both wales and england, but a quick email to the national blood service (England's one!) got the numbers added together on to the one card, which makes it a lot easier to get the next card up!

Great info. Thanks. I was pleased to see I wasn't the only person with the wales/england problem.

I've given blood a total of 6 times now and will keep going as long as I can. Everyone should go at least once. Personally I believe that the hardest bit is going the first time as you don't know what to expect. Certainly this is how I felt and is what put me off. When I was in University I shared my flat in halls with a medicine ...  Read the complete review

On the 28th January 2002, my dad had a liver transplant. He had lots of units of donated blood. 2 days after his op, while visiting the hospital to visit my dad, I went past the Blood Donation Centre and thought, "ok then, lets do it!" I hauled my poor confused hubby who reckoned we should have been going into the transplant unit ...  Read the complete review

Not enough people in the UK give blood. Do you? I could go on about the benefits of giving blood to save peoples lives, but hey we all know that saving lives is a good thing so I won't harp on. I could also go on about how easy it is to actually give blood, after all it only takes about half an hour of your time and isn't a bit ...  Read the complete review

You kiss your husband goodbye and take the kids off to school. You are returning home, when a car hits you. You are trapped inside the car and losing a large amount of blood. The ambulance men come and the firemen and get you out and take you to hospital. Here you loose so much blood that you have to have a transfusion. All of a sudden ...  Read the complete review

Are you a blood donor? If you are then my congratulations to you. You are part of the only 6% of the population that does. If you don?t donate then look at that figure ? 6%. That is pitiful. It is not like giving blood is particularly difficult, you don?t have to pay to donate or go through long and rigorous procedures before hand. It takes an ...  Read the complete review