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Care Opinion

Blood Doning service

Posted By Blood donor

"Blood Doning service"

About: NHS Blood and Transplant NHS Isle of Wight CCG

(as a service user),

I live in Totland in the Western part of the Isle of Wight.

Last year without any consultation the Blood Doning Service ceased sessions at Freshwater in the West Wight and also several other venues on the Island and reduced the doning sessions to 3 venues on the Island.

I am a full time carer for my wife who has chronic health problems but could manage to go to sessions at nearby Freshwater.

I would now have to take much longer to go to the new venue which is much further away and cannot risk leaving my wife for the longer time. I have given over 60 donations but cannot now continue. I believe that previously the donation staff were mainly from the Island.

The new sessions are manned by people from the Mainland who come over for the sessions. To add insult to injury the first time they were due to hold a session on the Island they failed to book the ferry and could not hold the session.

I have returned to this page after the "services you have used" page. They offered me Lymington, Hythe, Christchurch or Bournemouth hospitals. I live on the Isle of Wight.

It is the same story with the Blood Doning service. If I cannot make my next session I am offered New Milton - although I can see New Milton as I have a sea view across the Solent getting there involves a ferry journey (cost about £60) and most of a whole day.

Wake up NHS the Isle of Wight is an Island (the clue is in the name).

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Responses

Response from Lorraine Wright, Head of Nursing and Care Quality, NHS Blood and Transplant 10 years ago
Lorraine Wright
Head of Nursing and Care Quality,
NHS Blood and Transplant

Submitted on 26/01/2014 at 11:43
Published on Care Opinion at 12:44

Dear Blood Donor

Thank you for your commitment over the many years that you have been a blood donor, we and the people who receive blood appreciate the gift that you have generously given.

There is a constant demand for blood, but it is lower than it was because of the improvements in clinical practice which has meant that less people are being given blood than was the case previously. Whilst this is really positive for patients for us it means we don’t need to collect as much blood as we have done in the past.

We plan the blood donation sessions based on what we predict hospitals will need and because blood is a precious gift, we don’t want to see any blood being donated that isn’t needed.

In the last year we have made changes to some sessions to reflect the changing demand and we will need to continue do more as the demand for blood continues to change. Unfortunately this has meant the closure of some sessions because as a publicly funded organisation we have an obligation to deliver our services as efficiently as possible. If we can make savings more money is available for patient care in the NHS and this is best for everyone.

We are sorry that this has meant creating more difficulties for you to donate and we will be pleased to see you at any point in the future should you be able to attend another session.

Thanks again

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