What happens on the day

If you're new to donating or haven't donated for a while take a look at the information below or read the brochure 'What you need to know about giving blood'.

Before your donation

• Eat something substantial - this might be cereal and toast for breakfast or a sandwich for lunch. Please don't come in on an empty stomach.
• Drink plenty of liquid the day before your donation, especially in warm weather.
• If you've got a cold or flu, had a stomach upset in the past week, or you’ve been to the dentist recently you may not be able to donate. Call us on 13 14 95 to find out and we can reschedule your appointment if necessary.

On the day of your donation

• In the 3 hours before donating, please drink at least 3 good-sized glasses of water/juice.
• Bring identification with you. Acceptable ID is a document (or combination of documents) which contains 3 unique pieces of personal information. These can be:
  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Home address
  • Signature
  • Photo (if possible)

1. Arrival

• You'll be asked to complete a questionnaire. This form is completely confidential and asks about your general health and is designed to protect both you and the person who receives your blood.
• You can view a sample of the donor questionnaire (PDF 115k). Please note this is a sample only and not for actual use. It should not be taken as a definitive guide to eligibility, which often requires medical interpretation.

2. Interview

• Before donating you will be interviewed by a trained staff member to assess your suitability. You'll be given a quick 'finger prick' to check your haemoglobin level is within our acceptable range and your blood pressure will be measured.

3. Donating

• Giving blood takes just 5-10 minutes but please allow about 60 minutes from arrival to departure. This includes time for your interview and refreshments.
• Donating plasma or platelets takes about 45 minutes (allow 1½ hours for the whole process from interview to refreshments).
• If you're nervous about donating blood, let our staff know and they will talk you through the process.

4. Relax & refresh

After your donation we ask that you spend 15-20 minutes in our refreshment area having something to east and drink. Within 24-48 hours your blood volume is completely restored.

To help you recover quickly from your donation:

• drink plenty of water, fruit juice etc. 
• avoid alcohol for 8 hours after your donation
• avoid any strenuous activity or heavy lifting with the donating arm for 24 hours after you've given blood.

If you become unwell in any way after giving blood, call us on 13 14 95 straight away.

Safety

All equipment is sterile; needles are used only once and then discarded. In the great majority of donors, a donation of 470mL is less than 10% of your total body volume and may be given safely every 12 weeks.

Testing

To protect patients who receive blood, your donation is tested to determine your blood group and will be screened for HIV 1 & 2, hepatitis B & C, HTLV I & II and syphilis.

Make your next appointment

Before you leave the donor centre book in your next appointment

• Whole blood donors can give blood again in 12 weeks.
• Plasma and platelet donors can donate as often as every 2-3 weeks.