Giving blood at Birmingham Donor Centre remains essential during Covid-19 restrictions.
Blood donors in Birmingham and the surrounding areas are being urged by NHS Blood and Transplant to keep donating as normal if they are fit and healthy, as the city remains under local Covid-19 restrictions. Birmingham Donor Centre is open as usual and has plenty of appointment availability.
NHS Blood and Transplant, Birmingham.
Jane Whistance, Area Matron for the West Midlands at NHS Blood and Transplant said: “We have seen a fantastic response from blood donors throughout the pandemic so far and this has meant blood stocks have remained good.
“With local Covid-19 restriction measures continuing in Birmingham, I’d urge anyone in the area who has an upcoming appointment to donate blood to please stick to it if you can – and anyone considering becoming a blood donor to book their first appointment – as blood donation remains essential for NHS and patient care.
“Blood saves lives and donating is something you can do to help the NHS. Extra safety measures are in place on session and our doors are very much open.”
Since the Covid-19 outbreak, extra safety measures have been introduced across all blood donation sessions. All donors are triaged all on arrival and asked if they have any Covid-19 risk factors. A temperature check has recently been introduced to the triage process as an additional measure to protect staff and donors. If a donor has a temperature of 37.5 or above, which is a Covid-19 risk factor, they will not be able to donate or enter the session.
When entering, hand gels and hand washing facilities are available, donors are spaced apart and staff are doing extra cleaning. Staff are wearing face masks and donors are required to wear a face covering and keep it on throughout their time on session, removing it only for refreshments.
Around 5,000 units of blood need to be collected each day. Blood is used for treating trauma, cancer, blood diseases, bleeds in childbirth, and much more. Each donation can save up to three lives.
Birmingham has a permanent blood donor centre on 2nd Floor, 65 New Street, Birmingham, B2 4DU. Book appointments and check the latest guidance on Covid-19 and giving blood by calling 0300 123 23 23, downloading the NHS Give Blood app, or visiting blood.co.uk.
