Do they want the stuff or not?

Tweet

I have been a blood donor practically all my adult life, apart from a few years when I left the country and also time off for two pregnancies. During Covid there were appeals for blood donors to keep giving, since stocks were falling with everyone staying at home and being afraid to go to crowded places. So I tried to make an appointment, but in order to reduce crowding, incease social distancing, make time for extra cleaning etc. the blood service had reduced the number of appointments so it was really difficult. I managed to get one about 5 months ahead. When the day was almost upon us, I got a call cancelling the appointment and asking me to make another. Again, hardly any were available and I was offered an appointment miles away or months in advance (or both!) Again months passed, and the day before the appointment it was cancelled again! So I tried a third time. As usual I called the central booking service and was given an appointment at the main centre which is the nearest to me now that they no longer run the mobile blood collection clinics they used to do. It was still some months ahead. I wrote the date and time in my diary. As the date approached I noticed I didn’t seem to have received the pre-appointment checklist they usually send out. But since I invariably forget to take it to the appointment with me I figured it didn’t really matter anyway. The blood donor centre is at a big hospital five or six miles away. Most of the time I cycyle there, because getting there by car is a hassle and parking is a nightmare. Although donors are allowed free parking, it’s impossible to get to the designated area behind the clinic separately, you still have to queue with everyone else looking for parking spaces. However on this particular day I also wanted to go and buy some drain pipe and fittings, not really feasible on a bicycle, so I had decided that I would combine the trip and pick up the bits I needed on the way home. Of course since I don’t usually drive there I hadn’t realised quite how bad it would be and hadn’t allowed enough time. After queueing for 15 minutes I still hadn’t even got to the parking space and had missed my appointment slot! When I was finally able to park I rushed in apologetically, hoping they could still fit me in, only to be told they had no record of my appointment that day or any other day! Well I certainly didn’t imagine making the booking, so presumably the telephone person must have neglected to enter it into the system. After that I just gave up. I mean seriously, how hard are you supposed to try to give blood? If they don’t want it, I’m happy to keep it thanks! That was about a year ago. Then recently I happened to be at the hospital for something completely different, and thought I would pop in to the donor centre and see if the experience was any better in person. They were able to offer me an appointment the following week – and when I returned on the appointed day (by bicycle of course!) everything went smoothly – Hallelujah! After the donation I took the opportunity to make another appointment for 4 months’ time. I preferred to see the staff actually write it down rather than trust some voice on the telephone. So maybe I am finally ‘back in the loop’ so to speak.