Tag: Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service

First Collection Centre for Unrelated Blood Stem Cell Donors opens in Edinburgh

Blood Cancer Charity DKMS and Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service partner to bring accessibility and awareness to Scotland

DKMS, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders, has announced its partnership with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) to open the first collection centre for unrelated blood stem cells donors in Scotland.

This landmark initiative will significantly enhance the availability and accessibility of life-saving blood stem cell transplants for patients in Scotland and beyond.

The partnership between DKMS and SNBTS marks a crucial milestone in the battle against blood cancer, ensuring that patients in Scotland have a better chance of finding a matching blood stem cell donor.

By establishing the new collection centre, DKMS and SNBTS aim to raise awareness about the importance of becoming a registered blood stem cell donor and encourage more people to join the donor registry.

Blood stem cell transplantation is a life-saving treatment for patients suffering from blood cancers and other blood disorders.

For many patients, the step of finding a matching donor can be a challenging and time-sensitive process. The collaboration between DKMS and SNBTS will help alleviate many obstacles by providing the first dedicated facility for collecting blood stem cells from unrelated donors in the country, increasing the chances of finding a suitable match for patients in need.

Helen Kelly, Head of Projects and Operations at DKMS, said: “We are delighted to be working with SNBTS. This initiative will support more donors being able to donate their stem cells in Scotland, reducing the barriers of extensive travel and time off work. This collaboration will give more people with blood cancer and blood disorders a second chance at life”.

The collection centre is staffed by trained professionals and equipped with state-of-the-art technology, ensuring a seamless and efficient process for donors.

 “There is a clearly defined need for this important facility to open in Scotland. As the expert in blood, platelet, plasma and cell collection, SNBTS has transferrable expertise to support the collection of stem cells from unrelated donors,” said Dr Lynn Manson, SNBTS Clinical Lead for Therapeutic Apheresis Services at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.

“An Edinburgh facility will reduce the travel time required for donors and help to ensure stem cell donations are available when needed. We are pleased to have been involved in this important project, and I’d like to thank all staff and donors involved.”

The collection centre aims to be able to support all Scottish donors, allowing around 100 donors a year to be assessed and their donations collected locally. DKMS’s goal, with the support of SNBTS, is to provide a matching donor for every patient in need of a blood stem cell transplant.

To achieve this, DKMS actively engages with the public, healthcare professionals, and community organisations to raise awareness about the importance of becoming a blood stem cell donor and encourage eligible individuals to register.

By expanding the donor pool, this initiative aims to improve the odds of finding a matching donor for every patient in Scotland and beyond.

Giving Blood: New Covid Guidance

From today (Monday 3rd October 2022), the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service is changing its guidance around Covid-19. Please read the important information below:

Face masks

  • It is no longer mandatory to wear a face mask when you come to give blood. However, it is still recommended you wear a face mask or face covering. We can provide a face mask for you.
  • If you would like any further advice or guidance please contact us in advance, or speak to us when you come to session.

Social distancing

Social distancing will be removed across all blood donation sessions.

Staying well

Please do not come to session if you have symptoms of Covid-19, flu or any other common respiratory infection. These may include:

  • continuous cough
  • high temperature, fever or chills
  • loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
  • shortness of breath
  • unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
  • muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise
  • not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
  • headache that is unusual or longer lasting than usual
  • sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
  • diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick

If you have any of these symptoms, please let us know so we can re-allocate your appointment to someone else.

Our Covid-19: Advice for donors live article remains on the front page of our site, and will continue to be updated as and when changes are made.

Scotland launches recruitment drive for new blood donors

‘We need to welcome 3,300 donors per week to ensure blood supplies remain at safe levels‘

Scottish hospitals are currently supplied by the smallest pool of blood donors this century, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has revealed. This festive season, SNBTS are asking people to register as a blood donor, or to return and donate if they have not given for a while.

During the Pandemic (from 2019 to 2020), active blood donors in Scotland fell from over 105,000 to fewer than 92,000. This is a real-time reduction of nearly 13% meaning 13,000 fewer people gave blood in a single year.

Although the donor base has started to rebuild in 2021 and Scotland now has 96,000 active blood donors, SNBTS are asking new donors to come forward over the festive period, or those who have got out of the habit to return and donate.

Dr Sylvia Armstrong-Fisher, SNBTS says, ‘During the pandemic, NHS Scotland relied on commitment from existing donors who gave very regularly. We’d like to thank all of these people who supported us at such an important time.

“However, alongside the natural lifecycle of blood donors retiring every day, this led to the community of active donors shrinking to its lowest level since records began.

“We need to welcome 3,300 donors per week to ensure blood supplies remain at safe levels and, with fewer people donating regularly, we want to welcome 50 new or returning blood donors every single day over the festive and Winter period.

‘During the pandemic we have made many positive changes to blood collection, to make giving blood as easy as possible for donors. We are now offering more weekend sessions in our donor centres, and have opened our flagship donor centre in Livingston, which is now welcoming over 800 donors a month. To book your appointment to donate, you can use our online portal.

‘Maintaining a safe and regular supply of blood to hospitals is our top priority. Thank you to everyone who has supported patients in Scotland over the past two years. We look forward to welcoming you soon. Please join this amazing club today and book an appointment to support Scotland’s patients over the Festive period and into the new year.’

Inverness

Helping publicise the campaign are 29yr old Kate McRae, husband Mike (35), and little daughters Abigail (4 months) and Hollie (2) from Ardersier, near Inverness. Kate, an accounts assistant for Arnold Clark, suffered a massive postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to Abigail earlier this year.

Her life was saved by 12 transfusions given by 12 different people across Scotland. Mike, who has Colitis, also received a lifesaving transfusion when he was just 18. Without blood donors, there would be no MacRae family.

Kate says, ‘We just want to say thank you to everyone who gives blood, in particular the people who gave blood for Mike, and the twelve people who gave blood and blood products for me. I lost nearly all the blood in my body, there’s no doubt that without those people my children wouldn’t have a mother, and my husband wouldn’t have a wife.

‘It’s the best thing you could give this Christmas’

Mike says, ‘It’s scary to think that if people didn’t take half an hour, 45 minutes out their day to give blood, we could be having a very different conversation.’

Aberdeen

In addition to the MacRaes, Dr Musa Watila (47) is joining the call to arms.

A specialty doctor in Neurology at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Dr Watila lives with sickle cell disease and needs transfusions every eight weeks. He loves being a doctor and helping those in need, because as Dr Watila says, ‘I understand very well what it means to be on the other side of the table as a patient.’

Dundee

Dundonian chip shop owner Martine Curran (40) is supporting the drive, showing her gratitude to the blood donors who saved her life four years ago when her organs neared failure after giving birth to daughter Mara.

Martine says, ‘I would just like to say to everybody thank you, thank you so much for taking the time out your day to come and give blood. You can’t imagine how it feels – I’m just so grateful, every day I’m grateful to you all for giving blood and giving me the chance to be here, and be spending time with the ones I love.

‘You think you’re just going in to have a baby, you’ll go in, go out, it’s all happy experience. I didn’t get to take my baby home, but I eventually got home to her, so thank you. If it wasn’t for you going to give blood I wouldn’t have had that chance.’

Glasgow

Giffnock mum Louise Pennington’s seven year old daughter Freya was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia last November. She spent a month in hospital, needing ten transfusions over this time, before finally being able to go home just before Christmas.

Louise remembers one transfusion in particular. ‘One day Freya really wasn’t well from the side effects of treatment. She was lethargic, very sick, she had lots of mouth ulcers and sores. The doctor could tell, just by looking at her, she would need a blood transfusion that day.

‘Watching her it hit me, the enormity, that someone had given their blood and Freya would feel a bit better afterwards. I had an overwhelming sense of gratitude that someone had donated this for Freya to feel better. It wasn’t a tablet created in a lab, but a real person who had made her better. I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who had given up their time to donate.’

  • There are eight different blood groups. SNBTS aim to retain 5-7 days supply of all eight blood groups at all times. At this time, people with the blood groups A and O are particularly asked to come forward. You can see Scotland’s daily blood stock levels on scotblood.co.uk
  • Book an appointment to give blood by creating your online donor account at scotblood.co.uk, contacting us online, or phoning 0345 90 90 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).

Scotland opens first new blood donor centre in 60 years

Scotland’s first new blood donor centre venue in at least 60 years has opened at The Centre, Livingston – at a crucial point in history for the nation’s blood donors.

Recent exceptional weather combined with the easing of pandemic restrictions has led to a dip in group O and A blood donations – and with elective surgeries recommencing across the country, the need for donations is rising.

Livingston Donor Centre, situated in The Centre, aims to bring in 210 donations each week from donors living, shopping and working in the area. Designed to make blood donation easier by placing the facility within a busy shopping centre (with excellent transport links and ample parking) the hope is the venue makes it easier for local people to build giving blood into their regular routines.

Debbie McNaughton, Associate Director Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, says: “We’re delighted to be opening our new venue in Livingston today. It’s a fantastic new facility which will play a huge part in saving lives across Scotland in the future.

“This is the very first time we’ve opened a blood donor centre in a brand new Scottish location since the 1960’s – up until now, our donor centres have all been based in our biggest cities – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.

“However, no matter where you live, patients in Scotland need you to make an extra special effort to give blood in the coming days.

“The good weather, lockdown easing and the school holidays, mean we really need donors with the blood group O and A – that’s O-, O+, A- and A+ donors in particular.

“Please make a special effort to keep your appointment, and let us know if you need to cancel. If you’ve never given blood before, or haven’t for a while, now is the time to donate.

“The Livingston Donor Centre is currently a pilot, and we plan to be in this venue for six months. we welcome all donor feedback on the blood donor centre, its location, donating hours and your donation experience there.”

  • Please make an appointment to give blood at Livingston Blood Donor Centre.
  • You can book your appointment by creating your online donor account at www.scotblood.co.uk,  contacting us online, or by phoning 0345 90 90 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).

Blood donor criteria updated

Changes to the questions asked of blood donors will ensure more gay and bisexual men are able to donate blood in the future.

Currently, men are not able to donate blood in the UK if they have had sex with another man in the past three months, in line with previous expert advice.

New recommendations, which the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is satisfied will continue to ensure blood safety, mean men will no longer be automatically barred from giving blood if they have had sex with another man in the last three months. Instead, everyone will be given a more individual risk assessment, which will involve all potential donors being asked a few additional questions about their sexual behaviours.  

Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) will ensure there is information available for donors to explain the reasons for the changes and to give reassurance that all information provided by donors is kept strictly in confidence. 

The changes follow recommendations by the specialist steering group for Assessment of Individualised Risk (FAIR) made up of leading medical and academic experts and LGBTI+ groups.  

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “I welcome the recommendations of the FAIR group, which will enable a more individualised risk assessment approach to blood donor safety checks while continuing to ensure the safe supply of blood to patients.

“We are committed to equality and inclusion, and these changes will ensure a fairer and more up to date assessment of risk is applied to both men and women to identify whether donors may be at risk of a blood-borne virus infection.

“I am pleased to announce SNBTS expects to be able to implement these changes by summer 2021. They will be working to prepare their systems and staff for these changes and will also be working to raise awareness of the changes with existing and potential donors in advance.”

SNBTS Director Craig Spalding said: “We are proud to have been involved in the work that has been undertaken to enable the Scottish Government to make an informed decision on reviewing and changing donor eligibility requirements.

“Donor eligibility based on personal risk assessments, rather than on broader demographic information such as sexuality, is a welcome change.

“We are grateful for all the donors of Scotland and are looking forward to welcoming a broader cross section of the population, in particular those men who have sex with men who will be able to donate blood under the new criteria.”

More information about the FAIR Report will be made available on the NHS Blood and Transplant website.

GIVE BLOOD: Advice for donors

At the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, we take great care to minimise any risk of harm to donors or patients. This is why we place a number of restrictions on who can donate at any given time – and why these constraints can and do change over time.

Statements 11/03/2020 – Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • Giving blood is an essential activity. We must ensure hospitals are well stocked with blood and blood products at this time.
  • We are open, and our sessions are going ahead as normal.
  • If this changes, we will let you know.

Please make an extra special effort to give blood over the coming days, weeks and months. If you are fit and well and have not been impacted by COVID-19, it’s important you come forward to donate.

Am I eligible to donate?

Currently, you must not donate if you fall into one of the following categories:

  • You have COVID-19
  • You are in self-isolation with symptoms of possible COVID-19
  • You are well but are in self-isolation because other household members have symptoms of possible COVID-19

If you have shown symptoms of COVID-19, you must not donate until at least 14 days after final symptoms ceased.

If you were self-isolating because other household members were sick, but you remained symptom free yourself, you must not donate until 14 days after your first day of self-isolation.